A senior Egyptian source confirmed to local media that "there is no truth" to what was published by the Israeli media regarding Egypt’s retreat from joining South Africa in its case filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The source emphasized that "Egypt is determined to take the necessary steps to condemn Israel's actions before the ICJ."
The Egyptian foreign ministry earlier argued that the decision to join the case against Israel was due to the heightened tensions and the scale of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The decision came after South Africa filed an urgent request with the ICJ for additional measures against Israel over the situation in the Gazan city of Rafah, in the eastern parts of which Israel launched a military operation in early May.
Prior to that, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel in December 2023. Pretoria said in its lawsuit that Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza were a "violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention."
On January 26, the ICJ ruled in provisional measures, ordering Israel to take urgent steps to prevent acts of genocide and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to the enclave. At the same time, the ICJ did not order an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as South Africa had requested in its complaint.
South Africa's initiative was backed by dozens of countries and international organizations, including the African Union, Algeria, Egypt, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Brazil.