Ireland has submitted a declaration to join South Africa in a genocide lawsuit against Israel, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced.
“Ireland, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, has filed in the Court’s Registry a declaration of intervention in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip, namely South Africa v. Israel,“ the Court’s statement read.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland Micheal Martin announced last month that Ireland would join the case after the government approved the move in line with the Genocide Convention.
Under Article 63, any state party to the convention under judicial consideration has the right to intervene, making the ICJ’s interpretation of the convention binding for that state.
In December 2023, South Africa initiated proceedings against Israel, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention regarding Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Several countries have since joined the case, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, and Turkey.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ attack in October 2023, despite a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.
According to local health authorities, nearly 46.000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, and more than 105.000 injured.
Israeli strikes have displaced almost the entire population of the area, while the blockade persists, causing severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
