More countries have joined South Africa in a legal case filed against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the regime’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip
The Maldives, Namibia, and Pakistan expressed their support for South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel during a United Nations General Assembly session on Tuesday.
Neville Gertze, permanent representative of Namibia to the UN, said his country “welcomes and supports” South Africa’s legal action, adding that “Namibia both identifies and aligns with the arguments put forward by South Africa.”
In a post on X, the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN also announced that Islamabad has welcomed South Africa’s initiative to bring Israel’s transgressions under the UN’s Genocide Convention to ICJ.
It also noted that Pakistan looks forward to the advisory opinion of ICJ on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied territories.
Pakistan has welcomed South Africa’s initiative to bring Israel’s transgressions under Genocide Convention to ICJ. Pakistan also looks forward to the Advisory Opinion of ICJ on the legal consequences arising from policies & practices of Israel in Occupied Palestinian Territory. pic.twitter.com/byZRAB2Rgn
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) January 9, 2024
South Africa filed the lawsuit against Israel at the end of December, after nearly three months of Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza.
The lawsuit said Israel’s actions are “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”
The application also said Israeli attacks breach the UN’s Genocide Convention, and urged the court to “order Israel to cease killing and causing serious mental and bodily harm to Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Other countries that have already expressed support for the case include Bolivia, Jordan, Malaysia, and Turkey.
The ICJ will hold hearings to consider provisional measures on Thursday and Friday this week.
South Africa has been one of the outspoken critics of Israeli’s ongoing onslaught against Palestinians and has led some initiatives to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.
In November, the country referred Israel to the International Criminal Court, which is already investigating the occupied Palestinian territories.
In the same month, the country’s lawmakers voted in favor of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until the onslaught stops.
The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.
Since the start of the aggression, Israel has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Nearly 59,000 Palestinians have also been wounded.
The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.
