Cairo, 6 August 2024 (TDI): Turkiye has announced that it will formally submit its declaration of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel over the war on Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement on Monday while addressing a media conference in Cairo.
Turkiye had announced in May that it had decided to join the case initiated by South Africa as it stepped up measures against Israel over its assault on Gaza, and that it would submit a bid after the required legal preparations.
The ICJ has ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the UN Genocide Convention and to ensure its forces commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians after South Africa accused Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza.
South Africa brought its case against Israel in December last year, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The death toll from Israel’s war, which started in October, has reached nearly 40,000, according to health officials in the besieged territory.
South Africa’s case before the ICJ argues that Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention, which was established in the aftermath of the Holocaust and requires nations to prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in January that his country was providing documents for the case at the top United Nations court, also known as the World Court.
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So far, 13 nations have joined or declared their intention to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. The ICJ may allow countries to intervene in cases and give their views.
Several other countries, including Spain, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Palestine have also applied to join the case. The World Court has yet to make a decision on these applications.
