Israel defends itself at the UN's top court against Gaza genocide allegations

Judges and parties sit during a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2024. [AP Photo]

Accused of committing genocide against Palestinians, Israel insisted at the United Nations' highest court Friday that its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide.

Israel described the allegations leveled by South Africa as hypocritical and said one of the biggest cases ever to come before an international court reflected a world turned upside down. Israeli leaders defend their air and ground offensive in Gaza as a legitimate response to Hamas' October 7 attack, when militants stormed through Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.