The Hague. Belgium has also formally joined the case related to Israel’s allegations of carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip. This case was filed by South Africa in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the United Nations. ICJ issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Belgium has filed a declaration of intervention in this case.
Before Belgium, countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkey have also joined this legal process. South Africa filed the case in December 2023, claiming that Israel’s military actions in Gaza violate the 1948 UN Genocide Prevention and Punishment Convention. Israel has vehemently rejected these allegations and described the matter as politically motivated. However, in January 2024, the ICJ issued an interim order directing Israel to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Gaza and ensure unhindered access to humanitarian aid. These court orders are legally binding, even though the ICJ has no direct mechanism to enforce them.
The ICJ has also previously ruled that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and that its policies practically amount to annexation. Despite this, Israel has continued military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, drawing increasing international criticism. Meanwhile, the US and some of its European allies continue to provide military and economic aid to Israel. America has rejected South Africa’s case and criticized it. At the same time, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the US has also imposed sanctions on ICC officials.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks even after the ceasefire in effect since October 10, while the death toll since October 2023 is said to be more than 70 thousand.
