Ireland formally joins South Africa's genocide case against 'Israel'

Ireland has officially joined South Africa’s genocide case against the Israeli occupation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), becoming the latest country to support the lawsuit accusing the Israeli regime of committing genocide in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the Irish government approved the decision to intervene in the case. Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin stated that Ireland’s participation aims to "broaden the interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide by a State."

Martin expressed concern over the current understanding of genocide, saying, "A very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized."

Ireland joins a growing coalition of countries supporting South Africa's case, including Brazil, Turkiye, Malaysia, Chile, Spain, Pakistan, and Syria.

South Africa initially filed the lawsuit in December 2023, alleging that the Israeli occupation's actions in Gaza violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.

In January 2024, the ICJ acknowledged the "plausible risk of genocide in Gaza" and the ongoing harm to civilians but stopped short of mandating a ceasefire. However, the court ordered the Israeli occupation to take all necessary measures to prevent further genocide.

Ireland had said in November it planned to join South Africa's case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by the end of the year.

This happened after the Irish parliament passed a non-binding motion stating that "genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza."