South Africa accused Israel on Thursday at the top UN court of stepping up what it labelled a “genocide” in Gaza, urging judges to order a halt to the Israeli assault on Rafah, home to over 1.4 million displaced Palestinians. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) heard a litany of allegations against Israel from lawyers representing Pretoria, including mass graves, torture, and deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid. “South Africa had hoped, when we last appeared before this court, to halt this genocidal process to preserve Palestine and its people,” said top lawyer Vusimuzi Madonsela. …