JOHANNESBURG - The United States (US) says Israel has not committed genocide in Gaza.
The US has filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case.
It urged the International Court of Justice to keep its standard of inferring intent from a pattern of conduct.
The US said Israel did not intend to destroy people of Palestine in its war with Hamas.
It therefore argued that lack of intent means Israel did not commit genocide.
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South Africa first approached the ICJ in December 2023.
It asked the court to declare Israel's military action in Gaza an act of genocide.
The court has since handed down at least two rulings which ordered Israel to prevent genocide and desist from killing, injuring, destroying life and preventing births.
In papers filed at the International Court of Justice, the US urged the court to keep it's standard of inferring intent.
This means that the court shouldn't find Israel guilty of genocide as Israel had no specific intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national ethical, racial or religious group in its conflict with Palestine.