Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, has said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should consider the scale of damaged and destroyed housing in Gaza as part of the genocide case against Israel.
“ICJ should consider this as evidence of genocide when coupled with public statements documented before it by South Africa,” Rajagopal said in a post on X.
Rajagopal cited analysis from the Decentralised Damage Mapping Group which found that as of January 5, 2024:
- Between 45.3 to 55.9 percent of buildings in the Gaza Strip were “likely damaged or destroyed”.
- Between 71.1 to 82.7 percent of buildings in the area around Gaza City in northern Gaza were “likely damaged or destroyed”.
Maldives, Namibia, Pakistan support South Africa’s ICJ case
The Maldives, Namibia and Pakistan have joined the list of countries expressing support for the genocide case filed against Israel by South Africa at the ICJ.
The three countries each expressed their support for the case in speeches delivered during a UN General Assembly session on Tuesday.
Namibia’s Ambassador Neville Gertze told the UN that his country “welcomes and supports” South Africa’s case. “Namibia both identifies and aligns with the arguments put forward by South Africa,” Gertze said.
Other countries that have already expressed support for the case include Bolivia, Jordan, Malaysia and Turkey.
The ICJ will hold hearings to consider provisional measures on Thursday and Friday this week.
Source: Al Jazeera