President of the United States Joe Biden has refuted claims made against the Israeli government that it is carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip as part of its conflict with the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
“This is not genocide, despite accusations made by the International Court of Justice against Israel. We disagree with that, added Biden.
Chief prosecutor Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested arrest warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in connection with suspected crimes against humanity.
War crimes and crimes against humanity are allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip starting on October 8, one day after Hamas militants began their historic attack on Israel. This is the basis for the warrant requests for Netanyahu and Gallant.
According to a statement from Khan’s office, some of the accusations include “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” and “intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population.”
Additionally, arrest warrants were sought for Yehya al-Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as other militant organization members.
South Africa has consistently accused Israel of genocide and urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to take action against the Jewish state.
The UN judges have ordered Israel to take all necessary precautions to avert genocide and to permit the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in urgent rulings.