An Israeli government spokesman said today that Israel will go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague to challenge South Africa’s genocide allegations over the Gaza war with Hamas.

South Africa requested the ICJ on Friday to urgently order that Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention in its clampdown on Hamas.

“South Africa’s ridiculous blood libel will be refuted by the State of Israel at the International Court of Justice at The Hague,” spokesman Eylon Levy said at an online briefing.

“History will not spare South Africa’s leaders, we promise you,” Levy said.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is where the United Nations settles disputes between states. The suit was “baseless”, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.

A cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which Israel claims killed 1,200 people, sparked the war.

Palestinian health officials say that more than 22,000 people have been killed by Israel’s air and land attack. The ministry says that women and those under 18 make up 70% of Gaza’s dead, while its casualty figures do not separate fighters and civilians. Israel challenges Palestinian casualty figures and says it has killed 8,000 fighters.

Israel’s military has taken many steps to minimize the harm to non-combatants, Levy said.

He accused Hamas of starting the war and said it was “waging it from inside and underneath hospitals, schools, mosques, homes and UN facilities.”

He further said, without explaining, that South Africa was aiding Hamas’ crimes against Israelis.