On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an invasion of Israel, killing 1,180 people, including 797 civilians, wounding around 3,400, and taking 251 other people hostage. The Israeli response, involving a total blockade, continuous airstrikes and a ground invasion, was fierce. As the death toll and destruction in Gaza mounted, international attention to the region grew. and with it, beyond calls for a ceasefire and an end to the war, came accusations of something greater. Many began to accuse Israel not just of excessive force and war crimes, but of perhaps the greatest crime in international law: genocide. On December 29, 2023, just under three months after Israel’s invasion of Gaza began, South Africa added its voice to these accusations, bringing an official case to the International Court of Justice. As of now, no decisive ruling has been made, and it will likely be a long while before one is. But as the court deliberates, discussions between governments, human rights organizations, an