By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
A shooting that killed four members of a family survived by two boys in the West Bank town of Tammoun in the Northern West region.
The attack happened on Sunday when the family had returned from the city of Nabulas, as they had left to buy clothes for Eid al Fitr, which is due to be celebrated on Friday.
The victims of the attack according to Palestinian health authorities have been identified as Ali Khaled Sayel Odeh, 37, his wife Widad Osman Aql Bani Odeh, 35, as well as their two sons Muhammad, 5, and Othman, 7.
However two of their other children who were travelling in the same vehicle had survived. According to Palestinian officials the vehicle was attacked by Israeli forces as they opened fire at the family’s car as they were in the middle of a military operation near Tammoun, in the south-east of Tubas.
Palestinian forces also mention that the boys had experienced mistreatment from Israeli forces after the shooting and there is still no official statement from the Israeli forces regarding the incident.
The killings had been perpetrated after South Africa had expressed that they would review its case with Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel, as South Africa were reviewing their latest legal response.
The Presidency of South Africa has released a statement on Sunday stating that Israel had submitted a counter-memorial to the court on March 12, in response to the memorial submitted by South Africa in October 2024.
Since October 2023, South Africa have argued to the court that the Military operation in Gaza is a breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a claim that Israel continues to reject arguing that their military operations are targeted at Hamas after the attacks on October 7.
As both parties await a response from the court’s panel of judges for their written detailed arguments which present evidence and strong arguments of their cases, the court has ordered Israel in the meantime to prevent attacks that could fall under the category of Genocide and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The United States have also intervened in the case proceedings as their intercede on behalf of Israel against South Africa, however countries that support South Africa with the ICJ case continue to grow with countries such as; Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Libya, Brazil and Belgium.
South Africa is now in the midst of deciding if they should file another counter written reply to Israel’s filing or to allow the process to proceed towards an Oral hearing at the Hague.