An Australian legal and human rights organization has encouraged the government to back South Africa in its case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In a letter, the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) urged Canberra to “provide full support” to South Africa’s ICJ complaint against Israel for alleged “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza.
The letter was addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and the attorney general of the country.
Australia ought to “issue a public statement in support of South Africa’s application which should emphasize its respect for the ICJ and demonstrate that it is aware of its own responsibilities under the Genocide Convention to take all reasonable steps to prevent genocide,” the Australian Court of International Jurisprudence said on Tuesday.
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South Africa filed the complaint on December 29, saying that Israel’s activities in Gaza since Oct. 7 breached the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and asking an injunction.
Hearings in the case will begin on Thursday in The Hague.
Turkey, Bolivia, and Malaysia have already expressed their support for the lawsuit.
Since October 7, dozens of enormous protest rallies in solidarity of Palestinians have taken place around Australia.
According to local health officials, Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 23,210 Palestinians and wounding 59,167 others, predominantly women and children.
The Hamas strike is thought to have killed around 1,200 Israelis.
The Israeli assault has left Gaza in shambles, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and almost 2 million Palestinians uprooted amid severe food, water, and medication shortages.
