Israel uses India Today report in international court during Gaza deaths hearing

Israel relied on India Today TV's coverage on the Hamas' attack while presenting its case before the 17-judge bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during a hearing on Israel's military operations in Gaza.

The two-day hearing was prompted by South Africa's urgent appeal at the ICJ to force Israel to "immediately suspend" its military operations in Gaza.

While presenting its case, Israel quoted an India Today TV's report about a Hamas terrorist's phone call in which he was heard boasting about "killing the Jews".

The phone recording, released by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) on X, revealed the chilling conversation between a Hamas terrorist and his parents, in which the militant claimed to have killed 10 Jews.

The Hamas terrorist called his parents from the phone of a Jewish woman he murdered in Mefalsim, a kibbutz near the Gaza border. He shared pictures and asked his father to check his WhatsApp message to "see all those" he killed.

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"Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!" he was heard saying. He also tells his father that he killed the woman’s husband. "I killed 10 with my own hands! Dad, 10 with my own hands!" he repeated.

South Africa has accused Israel of "committing genocide" against Palestinians and on Thursday had pleaded with the United Nations' top court to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Given the urgency of this appeal, the International Court of Justice is anticipated to deliver a verdict within a matter of weeks. The ICJ's rulings are definitive and not subject to appeal.

Nevertheless, past instances, such as the ICJ's directive for Russia to cease its invasion of Ukraine, have shown that countries may not always adhere to the court's decisions. If the ICJ were to rule against Israel, it would likely intensify political pressure on the country, sparking speculation that it could potentially be a catalyst for sanctions.

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