The foreign ministers of the Arab League have underscored their agreement to join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel.
The foreign ministers of the Arab League held a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, which was also attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, and the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini.
“The foreign ministers reiterated their agreement to join the lawsuit filed by South Africa,” said Muhannad al-Akluk, the Palestinian representative to the Arab League.
He noted that the Arab League foreign ministers are urging the UN court to rule on South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip.
South Africa filed an urgent request with the International Court of Justice on May 10, seeking additional measures against Israel due to the situation in Rafah, citing “changed circumstances and new facts.”
The applicant also requested that the court correct the measures it had already taken on January 26. On that date, the court ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip, to punish those who incite genocide against Palestinians, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, and to preserve evidence related to the alleged crimes against the Palestinian people, as described in the Genocide Convention.
However, the court did not order Israel to stop its military operation in the Gaza Strip, as South Africa had requested.
South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel with the International Court of Justice in The Hague on December 29, 2023, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention due to the situation in the Gaza Strip, and calling on the court to take temporary measures against the Israeli authorities.
South Africa claimed that Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip constitute a “violation of the obligations under the Genocide Convention.” According to the African country’s statement, “Israel’s actions and inaction… amount to genocide, as they are committed with the specific intent… to destroy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as part of a broader Palestinian national, racial, and ethnic group.”
