MALAYSIA welcomes South Africa’s application to institute proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), concerning the violations to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra), in a statement, said today.

The proceedings against Israel comes under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).

The application by South Africa also includes a request for the court to indicate provisional or short-term measures ordering Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza.

This is in order to protect against further harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention, and to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention, the statement read. 

“The legal action against Israel before ICJ is a timely and tangible step towards legal accountability for Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory at large.

“As a fellow state party to the Genocide Convention, Malaysia calls on Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law and to immediately end its atrocities against Palestinians,” said Wisma Putra in the statement.

Malaysia reiterates its call for a durable solution by granting the Palestinians their own independent and sovereign state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, the statement added.

According to media reports at least 21,978 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed, while local health authorities day 57,697 others were injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7. – Bernama, January 2, 2024.