Karan Thapar 
Danny Ayalon, Israel’s former Deputy Foreign Minister and former Ambassador to USA, discusses the case brought against his country by South Africa in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
When Israel initially cut off all water, electricity, food and fuel did it breach Article II (b) of the Convention on Genocide which says one definition of genocide is ‘causing serious bodily and mental harm to members of a group’?
At the same time, did the denial of food, fuel and essential facilities also breach clause (c) of Article II which defines genocide as ‘deliberately inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part’?
By killing nearly 24,000 people, injuring almost 60,000 and displacing close to 2 million is Israel guilty of breaching Article II clause (a) which talks of ‘killing members of a group’? Do statements by President Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant suggest genocidal intent?
Do statements by senior cabinet ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich that all Palestinians must be pushed out of Gaza and replaced with Israeli settlers amount to ethnic cleansing? Finally, if not genocide, is Israel guilty of serious war crimes?