South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during opening arguments at a two-day hearing of the International Court of Justice in the Hague, where a panel of 15 judges is investigating claims of atrocities amid the country’s ongoing war with Hamas.

In outlining the stunning case against Israel, South African government attorneys urged the top court of the United Nations to order Israel to pull out of Gaza, where more than 23,000 people have been killed following a massive Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which led to more than 13 weeks of war, including a devastating ground invasion by the Israeli military that has displaced millions of civilians.

Israel vociferously denied the genocide claims, with Israeli leaders breaking from their usual avoidance of international tribunals as they prepare to present arguments to the panel on Friday in an attempt to shore up the country’s declining reputation on the world stage.

Outside the Peace Palace in the Hague, where the court proceedings were taking place, hundreds of pro-Israeli protesters gathered Thursday to demand the release of the remaining civilian prisoners.

Inside the courtroom, South African lawyers sought “provisional measures” to force Israel to accept an immediate ceasefire, but a ruling from the justices was not likely to happen for weeks, while the broader genocide prosecution could take several years to play out.

In his opening statement, South African special counsel Adila Hassim emphasized that the latest Middle East war had exposed decades of Israeli oppression against Palestinians, which amounted to a “plausible claim of genocidal acts.”

Hassim implored the court to consider the scope of the entire conflict as “evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of” genocide, he told the panel as a large crowd watched from the gallery.

“Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court,” Hassim said.

Other South African lawyers echoed the claims against Israel.

“The scale of destruction in Gaza, the targeting of family homes and civilians, the war being a war on children, all make clear that genocidal intent is both understood and has been put into practice. The articulated intent is the destruction of Palestinian life,” said lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily to South Africa’s claims and vowed to continue the invasion until all Hamas militants are annihilated.

“This is an upside-down world — the state of Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting genocide,” he said in a video statement, according to The Associated Press. “The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens.”

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat also posted a statement to X, calling South Africa’s presentation “one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy” and referred to Hassim and other South African lawyers as “Hamas’ representatives in court” who were promoting “baseless and false claims.”

Back in Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby characterized the genocide allegations as “unfounded.”

“That’s not a word that ought to be thrown around lightly, and we certainly don’t believe that it applies here,” Kirby said.

Rulings by the international court are considered legally binding, but Israel has not yet indicated a willingness to comply with any potential orders to stop fighting and could face sanctions from the United Nations as a result if the court finds Israel committed genocide.

Israel remains committed to achieving its mission to destroy Hamas following the deadliest attack on its territory since the country was established in 1948.

Israeli leaders maintain the military is abiding by international law and making every effort to minimize harm to civilians in areas where Hamas operates underground.

Those who have survived the Israeli raids face starvation and disease as food, water and medicines have been slow to reach refugee populations, while buildings and infrastructure have been reduced to rubble amid a relentless bombing campaign.

An ongoing hostage crisis also loomed over the proceedings as more than 107 Israeli citizens were still being held captive by Hamas after dozens of hostages were released in recent weeks as part of continuing peace talks.

The dispute between Israel and South Africa centers around the U.N. human rights treaty established in 1948 following the Holocaust to prevent future instances of genocide after the Nazis systematically killed several million Jews during World War II.