Egypt announced on Sunday that it will officially join the lawsuit filed by the Republic of South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this move comes “in light of the severity and scope of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the systematic targeting of civilians and destruction of infrastructure in the Strip.”
In a statement, Egypt renewed its call to the United Nations (UN) Security Council and international parties to take immediate action to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, halt military operations in Rafah, and provide necessary protection to Palestinian civilians.
Israel has been accused of genocide before the ICJ.
In a provisional ruling in January, Tel Aviv was ordered to halt genocidal acts and take measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
In its submission, the Republic of South Africa requested the Court to order Israel to cease military activities in Gaza, stop genocidal acts, or take reasonable measures to prevent genocide and to submit regular reports to the ICJ on these measures.
The South African submission is 84 pages long, stating that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing them, inflicting serious mental and physical harm, and creating conditions leading to “their physical destruction.”
The Republic of South Africa bases its lawsuit on the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, drafted after World War II and the Holocaust. Israel has called the lawsuit “unfounded.”
