Key Points
- Ireland invokes Article 63 of the Statute of the Court
- South Africa initiated the genocide case against Israel
- Around 46,000 Palestinians are killed by Israel
ISLAMABAD: The Irish Foreign Ministry, last month, secured the government’s approval to join the case against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
According to Anadolu Ajansi, Ireland submitted a declaration to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“Ireland, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip,” or South Africa versus Israel, the ICJ said in a statement.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, last month, made it clear that they would join the case against Israel once they secure the government’s order for the move under the Genocide Convention.
Under Article 63, any state party to a convention that is under judicial consideration has the right to interfere, making the ICJ’s interpretation of that convention binding on them also.
South Africa’s case
South Africa, in December 2023, filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel, regarding violations of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.
Many countries, since then, have joined the case, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, and Türkiye.
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Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in October 2023, Israel continued its brutal offensive on Gaza.
According to local health authorities, around 46,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 105,000 injured by Israel.
The Israeli invasion has caused almost the entire population of the territory to disperse amid an ongoing blockade which has led to shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
