Gaza Herald – The governments of the Netherlands and Iceland have formally joined the legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning allegations of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The move adds new international support to the case originally filed by South Africa in December 2023, which accuses Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through its military genocide in Gaza.
South Africa’s application to the court argued that Israel’s military operations, large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, and conditions imposed on the population of Gaza could amount to acts of genocide under international law.
In January 2024, the ICJ issued provisional measures after determining that some of the rights claimed by South Africa were plausible. The court ordered Israel to take steps to prevent acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The court later issued additional provisional orders in March and May 2024 as the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorated. Israel has denied committing genocide and rejected the allegations.
The case remains ongoing at the ICJ in The Hague. Several other countries have also taken part in the proceedings by submitting legal arguments or requests to intervene, and legal experts say a final ruling could take years before it is delivered.
