Israel on Friday rejected accusations of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, while arguing before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that its military operations in the city of Rafah are self-defence. The case brought by South Africa was a “distortion of reality,” the head of Israel’s delegation, Gilad Noam, said in the courtroom in the Peace Palace in The Hague. South Africa was abusing international law in a “despicable and cynical manner,” according to Noam. At the end of the hearing, one of Israel’s legal representatives was interrupted as a woman shouted “Liar” before being led o…