Anadolu photos presented as evidence at ICJ genocide case hearing against Israel

By Tugba Altun

Photographs from Anadolu were presented as evidence at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is hearing a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

During the address by Adila Hassim, one of the lawyers representing South Africa at the UN court on Thursday, photos from Anadolu were shown as proof of Israeli actions in the besieged enclave.

One of the photographs presented was taken by Anadolu photo correspondent Fadi Alwhidi, which depicts lifeless bodies retrieved by Palestinian civil defense teams in the city of Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip, on Dec. 23. The bodies were subsequently buried in a mass grave dug near the Indonesia Hospital in the enclave.

Another photo, captured by photo correspondent Mohammed Fayq on Oct. 30, shows the mass burial of the Fatayer family members in a designated area in Gaza due to the lack of available space in some cemeteries.

South Africa on Thursday demanded the ICJ to impose provisional measures on Israel to halt its assault on Gaza, which Tel Aviv has continued since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, and has killed more than 23,000 people besides leaving the territory in ruins and causing shortages of food, water and medicine.

The South African delegation argued that "the future of the Palestinians who are still in Gaza depends on the decision this court will make on this matter."

It said the mass killing of Palestinians formed a "calculated pattern of conduct by Israel indicating a genocidal intent."

The legal team said the ICJ should not hesitate in imposing provisional measures, as it "did not hesitate" in the genocide case for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, asserting that the situation in Gaza also deserves court intervention.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz