Israel-Gaza: South Africa calls for immediatehalt to Israel's Rafah operation | BBC News

South Africa has asked the International Court ofJustice to order an immediate halt to Israel's incursion in Rafah.

It says as well as direct military attacks, Israel is'starving' Palestinians in Gaza by obstructing access to food and medicines.

Israel has insisted it is acting in accordance withinternational law, dismissing the claims as "baseless blood libel".

The country launched a military campaign on Gaza todestroy Hamas in response to the group's cross-borderattack on southern Israel on 7 October, during whichabout 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage.

More than 35,230 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.