Ireland to Join South Africa's Case Against Israel at ICJ
© Sputnik / Alexey Filippov
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Dublin will join South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Irish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
In January, the ICJ ruled on provisional measures in South Africa's case against Israel over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip. The court ordered Israel to take urgent measures to prevent acts of genocide and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to the enclave. At the same time, the ICJ did not order an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
"The Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin TD [Teachta Dala, a member of the Irish parliament's lower house] has announced that Ireland will intervene in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice," the ministry said in a statement.
It is likely to take several months for Ireland to join the lawsuit, the statement said. Martin has instructed officials to start work on the process. Ireland will be in close contact with other partners who have also announced their intention to join South Africa in its genocide case, according to the statement.
"It is for the Court to determine whether genocide is being committed. But I want to be clear in reiterating what I have said many times in the last few months; what we saw on 7 October in Israel, and what we are seeing in Gaza now, represents the blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale," the foreign minister was quoted as saying in the statement.
On Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza. The motion was sponsored by the 10 non-permanent members of the council. Fourteen countries voted in favor, while the United States abstained. This year, Ramadan runs from March 10 to April 9.
