Israel is urging the top UN court to reject a new South African request on Gaza provisional orders

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Israel is urging the United Nations’ highest court to reject an urgent South African request to consider whether Israel’s military operations targeting the southern Gaza city of Rafah breach provisional orders the court handed down last month in a case alleging genocide. South Africa asked the International Court of Justice to decide whether Israel’s strikes on Rafah, and its intention to launch a ground offensive on the city breaches both the U.N. Genocide Convention and preliminary orders handed down by the court last month in a case accusing Israel of genocide. In a three-page submission released Thursday by the court, Israel labeled the new South African request “ highly peculiar and improper” and urged judges to reject it.