UN chief following ICJ case against Israel: Official

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, an official said Thursday.

"The Secretary-General has full respect for the independence of the courts, its proceedings and its decisions," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

His remarks came after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague held the first of a two-day hearing in the case concerning the Gaza Strip, where more than 23,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7.

The 84-page filing by South Africa accuses Israel of acts and omissions that are "genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent ... to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group."

It said Israel's genocidal acts include the killing of Palestinians, causing serious bodily and mental harm, mass expulsion from homes and displacement, imposing measures intended to prevent Palestinian births and deprivation of access to adequate food, water, shelter, sanitation and medical assistance.

The hearing on Thursday will be followed by Israel's arguments in its defense on Friday.

'Lack of coordinated safe access by Israel'

Regarding the situation in Gaza, Dujarric said humanitarian aid deliveries to the north of the Strip were able to proceed.

"The UN's ability to respond to extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza has been curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliveries and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities.

"These denials and severe access constraints are paralyzing the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at scale," he said.

Being unable to assist results in lost lives and suffering for hundreds of thousands of residents who remain in northern Gaza, the spokesman stressed.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed around 1,200 people.

At least 23,357 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 59,410 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced, while all of the population is food insecure, according to the UN.

Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.