Belgium Has Joined South Africa’s ICJ Case Against Israel Committing Genocide In Gaza
Belgium filed a declaration of intervention in the case, which would allow the country to submit written and oral arguments and agree that the ruling will also be binding on the country.
Belgium has officially joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) committing “genocidal acts” against Palestinians in Gaza.
South Africa first filed the case in December 2023, presenting an 84-page document with evidence that Israel has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention, an international treaty created in the aftermath of the Holocaust that has been signed by 152 states, including both Israel and South Africa.
The hearings started in January 2024, and since then countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkey have joined the case.
The ICJ could take years in its final ruling but in January 2024 found that there was a plausible case of genocide, ordering Israel to take steps to prevent it and allow humanitarian aid to enter the Strip.
In September, after nearly two years of genocide, an independent UN commission declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Belgium then announced it would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly and impose sanctions on Israel in response to its genocide in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a “ceasefire” on Oct. 10, but Israel has violated it more than 875 times since, killing over 406 Palestinians and only allowing minimal aid to enter Gaza, rather than the 600 aid trucks that were supposed to enter daily, according to the agreement.
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, the ICJ announced Belgium has filed a declaration of intervention in the case, which would allow the country to submit written and oral arguments in regards to the case and agree that the ruling will also be binding on the country.
Israel continues to deny the allegations, and the US — Israel’s biggest ally — imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity.
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Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
