Colombia urges the countries signatories to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to support South Africa's genocide suit against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Colombian Ambassador to Uruguay, Juan Jose Quintana Aranguren, told Sputnik.
"We send an open invitation to all the countries-parties to the Convention, of which there are 150. This is a significant number, representing two-thirds of the international community. We call on them to follow our example: to submit their statements and actively participate in the process, supporting South Africa and sending a message to Israel that it cannot continue its current actions," the ambassador said.
Israel must be held legally accountable for its actions, he added.
After the ICJ ordered provisional measures in South Africa's case against Israel, in early March, the African nation went back to the ICJ to call for additional provisional measures against Israel that would address the widespread starvation of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Over 33,000 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.