Türkiye calls on ICJ to rule against Israel to halt attacks in Gaza

The Turkish parliamentary delegation following the South African genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has urged the World Court to rule against Israel, which has killed more than 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October.

Cuneyt Yuksel, chairman of the Parliamentary Justice Committee, said on Wednesday they expect the UN court based in The Hague to rule that Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention in its actions in the blockaded enclave.

"If the case is heard fairly and justly, the ICJ should rule that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention. We are expecting the ICJ to issue an interim measure ordering Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza," Yuksel said.

The evidence presented at the hearings shows Israel has committed acts of genocide against the Palestinians, he said, adding that this includes the killing of civilians, the infliction of serious physical and mental harm, the forcible displacement of people, and the denial of access to food, water and medical care.

The delegation also called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the provision of unhindered humanitarian aid to the region.

South Africa, which brought the case before the ICJ, accused Israeli authorities of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during their military assault. It also requested provisional measures from the court to protect the Palestinian people, including by calling upon Israel to immediately halt military attacks.

The ICJ, after a two-day hearing on January 11-12, said it started deliberating and will issue a decision, the date of which will be announced in "due course."

Israel has launched a relentless military assault on Gaza after a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which Tel Aviv says killed around 1,200 people.

During Israel’s offensive, at least 24,448 Palestinians have been killed and 61,504 others injured. The majority of the victims were children and women.

According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Anadolu's photographs as evidence at the ICJ

Photographs taken by Anadolu Agency that were filed at the UN's top court as evidence in South Africa's genocide case against Israel will definitely have an impact on the outcome of the lawsuit, Türkiye’s consul general to Palestine said on Wednesday.

Anadolu has compiled the photos in a book, titled "Evidence," to be used at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the "most important case of the century," according to Türkiye's Consul General in Jerusalem Ambassador Ahmet Riza Demirer.

The trial may go down in history as "the case of our century," Demirer said, adding:

"Perhaps there won't be a more significant case in the 21st century. And the ruling will be influenced by the efforts of your colleagues, the work of Anadolu's correspondents, in the field."

Demirer stressed that while what is happening in Gaza is clear for all to see, presenting the images as legal evidence to the court and the world will be of crucial importance.

Journalists at the War

Underlining the loss that many journalists have suffered while covering the Israeli onslaught in Palestine's Gaza, the envoy said many had lost their families.

"Although we do not see them all the time and do not know them personally, there are journalists who bring (what is happening in Gaza) to our attention," he said, adding: "For example, even Anadolu has lost martyrs... These are the conditions under which these journalists and Anadolu work. "Evidence" is the result of these efforts, these sacrifices."

Demirer called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, stressing that nothing could justify the killing of civilians, including children and women.

He added that Türkiye's goal is to bring these attacks to an end as soon as possible and to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.