The Hague, Netherlands - South Africa on Monday submitted an "urgent request" to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for measures to prevent Israel's assault on Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip.

Israel's relentless bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza have killed at least 28,576 Palestinians and forced millions to flee their homes since October.

Now, around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah, near the border with Egypt – fighting to survive desperate conditions driven by a brutal Israeli blockade on food, water, medical supplies, and other basic necessities.

In January, South Africa presented a case before the ICJ accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention and requesting emergency measures to protect Palestinian lives. The top United Nations court ruled there is a plausible case Israel is committing genocidal acts in Gaza and granted provisional measures against the Middle Eastern country – but fell short of calling for a ceasefire.

None of that has stopped the Israeli military from turning with full force on Rafah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his intent to attack the city in an interview broadcast on February 11: "We're going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, which is the last bastion, but we're going to do it."

Given the urgent state of affairs, the South African government this week has once again appealed to the ICJ, saying it is "gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large scale killing, harm and destruction."

South Africa is demanding additional preliminary measures to protect Palestinians in Rafah, which it calls "the last refuge for surviving people in Gaza."

The ICJ has acknowledged receipt of South Africa's request on Tuesday evening but has not commented further on next steps.