At the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Ramallah has applied to join South Africa’s ongoing genocide lawsuit against Israel.
The court, based in The Hague, announced the Palestinian application on Monday evening.
The lawsuit, initiated by South Africa at the end of 2023, accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention through its military actions in the Gaza Strip. Although the United Nations has not recognized Palestine as a state, its observer status allows it to make such requests.
If the ICJ approves the application, Palestinian authorities will be able to participate in the proceedings. Several other nations, including Colombia, Libya, and Nicaragua, have also indicated their intent to join the lawsuit.
Israel has firmly rejected the genocide accusations, citing its right to self-defense following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and other militant groups, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. According to Palestinian sources, Israeli counterattacks have since resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian casualties.
The ICJ has previously issued decisions obliging Israel to take measures to protect civilians, but the main proceedings regarding the genocide accusations could extend for years.
