Application to join South Africa's case against Israel for potential breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide has been made by Palestine to the ICJ, the court announced on Monday.
In a statement, the ICJ said the State of Palestine submitted its request on May 31, which was signed by Palestinian Authority foreign ministry official Ammar Hijazi.
In a statement, the ICJ said the State of Palestine submitted its request on May 31, which was signed by Palestinian Authority foreign ministry official Ammar Hijazi.
Made on behalf of the "State of Palestine", the application stated that Israel's ongoing military operation, "in violation of the Court's Orders and its obligations under the Genocide Convention [...] Israel continues with its genocidal acts, including deliberately and systematically impeding humanitarian aid."
"The Israeli onslaught has obliterated and damaged, beyond recognition, Gaza's hospitals, mosques, churches, universities, schools, homes, shops, and infrastructure, as part of a systematic effort to wipe Palestinian society and its culture and social institutions from the map," the application read.
In its application, the Middle East country called on all states parties of the Genocide Convention to join the lawsuit procedures submitted by South Africa, "in defense of the Palestinian people" from the crime of genocide, guarantee that this cruel act will never be committed again, and maintain the sustainability of the global legal order.
The ICJ court has granted three preliminary decisions in the case, directing Israel to do everything it can to prevent deaths in the enclave, increase humanitarian aid, and, most recently, cease its offensive in Rafah.
According to a joint statement issued by the head of the Israeli National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry, Israel is not carrying out or intends to carry out activities in Rafah that could lead to the entire or partial destruction of the Palestinian civilian population.
On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed a claim against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the ICJ in The Hague, requesting that the court adopt provisional actions against Israeli authorities, pointing that Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip constitute a "violation of obligations under the Genocide Convention."