Israel’s President Isaac Herzog delivers a speech during a tribute ceremony at the Halle aux Grains in Toulouse, southern France, on March 20, 2022. Photo: Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that “there is nothing more atrocious and preposterous” than a lawsuit filed in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in its Gaza offensive.

The case, brought by South Africa, is due to begin hearings on Thursday and focus on the thousands of civilians that Gaza health authorities controlled by Hamas say have been killed in the more than three-month-old war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group. Experts have cast doubt on the reliability of casualty figures coming out of Gaza, which don’t distinguish between terrorists and the civilians in which Hamas embeds itself.

Speaking to visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Herzog accused South Africa of hypocrisy for bringing the case, and thanked Washington for its support of Israel, which says it makes utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.

“Actually our enemies, Hamas, in their charter, call for the destruction of our nation, the State of Israel — the only nation-state of the Jewish people,” Herzog said.

“We will be there at the International Court of Justice and will present proudly our case of using self-defense under our most inherent right under international humanitarian law.”

The offensive was triggered by a cross-border Hamas rampage by Islamist terrorists who killed 1,200 people and abducted 240 in southern Israel.

Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign if air strikes and ground operations in Gaza with the aim of freeing the hostages and destroying the ability of Hamas to pose a threat to Israel.

Israel blames Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, for harm to civilians for operating among them. It insists it will press ahead until Islamist Hamas is dismantled and 132 remaining hostages are recovered.

Israel must win, Herzog said, “because it’s a war that affects international values and the values of the free world.”

As of Tuesday, the Israeli military said 182 soldiers had been killed in Gaza fighting.