GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas released a statement Thursday praising the latest sessions at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the genocide case lodged by South Africa against Israel.

“We welcome the hearings at the International Court of Justice to consider the request submitted by South Africa for further measures regarding the ongoing aggression and genocide against our people,” it said.

The group viewed the hearings as a “significant step towards criminalizing Israel, which has ignored previous court rulings.”

It also commended "South Africa’s stance in monitoring the details of Israel’s genocide against our people and its insistence on activating international justice to ensure that Tel Aviv stops its practices against our people.”

Hamas noted that this position "aligns with a statement made by the president of the court, Nawaf Salam, reaffirming that the precautionary measures requested by the court did not address the consequences of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.”

The group stressed that this implies "the court taking further measures to compel Israel to halt its aggression, withdraw its army from all of Gaza, and open crossings for the entry of aid.”

South Africa urged the world court on Thursday to order Israel to end its assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, halt its military campaign in Gaza and allow investigators and journalists into the enclave.

After the two-day hearing in The Hague began earlier in the day, the South African delegation pointed to "willful breaches" by Israel against the court's binding orders. The delegation said South Africa was compelled to return to the court due to the "continuing annihilation of the Palestinian people."

South Africa filed an “urgent request” last Friday with the ICJ for additional measures amid Israel’s attacks on Gaza, particularly in Rafah, where around 1.5 million Palestinians are taking shelter.

The Israeli army launched a limited ground offensive on May 6 in Rafah, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimating that around 600,000 people have fled the city since the start of the attack.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

More than 35,200 Palestinians have since been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and over 79,200 others injured since last October following an attack by Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul