South Africa has accused Israel of violating international laws on genocide in its military operations in Gaza in a case it brought to the UN International Court of Justice.
South Africa said in a submission to the International Court of justice on Friday that Israel "failed to prevent genocide and is committing genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza and the court should order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations.
South Africa argues that the court, a UN body adjudicating disputes between states, has jurisdiction under the 1948 Genocide Convention, to which both countries are party.
Pretoria is also seeking urgent measures including ordering an immediate halt to Israeli military action, and has called for hearings to be held early in the new year.
Israel said the allegations were unfounded.
South Africa said that Israel had shown "genocidal intent" in operations since the war began on 7 October. Israeli forces were accused of inflicting Palestinians with "calculated living conditions to achieve their physical destruction".
A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry said: "Israel rejects with disgust the blood libel published by South Africa in its application to the International Court of Justice. "South Africa's claim lacks both factual and legal basis and constitutes despicable exploitation and contempt of court."
The South African case underscores the criticism Israel faces from governments across the so-called "global south" as it intensifies a ground offensive on central Gaza after weeks of aerial bombardment that have seen most of the territory's population displaced.
More than 21,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory. UN officials have accused Israel of blocking aid - allegations it denies.
The government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has already suspended normal diplomatic relations with Israel due to the war, and also called for an ICC investigation into the conflict.
The International Court of Justice ordered Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine last year after Kiev filed a case, also on the basis of the UN Genocide Convention. Moscow ignored the verdict.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg after South Africa said it could not avoid executing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
