Brazil joins South Africa’s ‘genocide’ case against Israel at ICJ

Brazil has officially joined the international court of justice (ICJ) case involving allegations that Israel is “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Friday, the Hague court confirmed that Brazil had cited Article 63 of the ICJ statute by submitting a declaration of intervention.

Any member state of the UN has the right to intervene when a treaty to which it is a party is being interpreted. Israel officially acknowledged that Israel was violating the 1948 Genocide Convention in an official manner in Brazil using the article.

According to the World Court, South Africa and Israel are now asked to “furnish written observations on the declaration of intervention.”

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in July that it would join the case, citing “impunity” that violated international law by denouncing Israeli aggression in the West Bank and Gaza.

Brazil has joined the case against Israel over the genocidal war that has claimed the lives of more than 65, 000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, along with Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Turkiye, and others who have intervened in favor of South Africa.

Le Brésil, qui se conforme à l’article 63 of the Criminal Code, has filed an intervention declaration in the #AfriqueduSud c. #Isral.

Lien vers le communiqué: https://t.co/7UW0uUrP8o pic. twitter.com/wGoQwUNRqC

Although the ICJ’s final decision may still take some time, the interim order that required Israel to stop genocide in Gaza and facilitate unhinged access to humanitarian aid was issued in January 2024.

Additionally, the court ruled that Israel’s policies amount to annexation and that its presence in occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful.

Israel has since deposed far more of Gaza and the West Bank, and it is quickly moving forward with plans to seize much of the Palestinian territory, disregarding those judgments and the growing international condemnation of its conduct.

Even as trustworthy international organizations are increasingly acknowledging that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, the United States and its European allies continue to fund and arm it.