Shortly after 10am local time on 11 January a hush descended over the ornate courtroom at the Peace Palace in The Hague as the judges of the international court of justice entered to hear South Africa’s case alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza.
Outside the court, protesters noisily made their feelings known and more than 3,000km away the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave continued, as the US president of the court, Joan Donoghue, began the formalities, opening the hearing into the war in Gaza.
