MADRID: Spain said on Thursday it would join South Africa’s case at the UN’s top court in Pretoria, which accuses Israel of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
The announcement came a week after Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian state, angering Israel.
South Africa took the case to the International Court of Justice last year. It said Israel’s attack on Gaza in retaliation for Israel’s unprecedented attack on Gaza violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Israel has categorically denied the accusation.
Asked whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide, Albares said it was up to the courts.
“We are now witnessing a full-scale war in Gaza that does not distinguish between civilian and military targets, as well as the threat of regional collapse,” he said.
Several Latin American countries, including Colombia and Mexico, followed South Africa’s case.
But so far no European country has taken such a step. Ireland also announced plans to join the business.
The Hague-based ICJ, established after World War II, rules on disputes between countries.
The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to provide “unfettered access” to UN investigators authorized to look into the allegations of genocide.
In a ruling dated January 26, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide during its military operations in Gaza.
But South Africa has repeatedly returned to the ICJ, saying that the dire humanitarian situation in the region forced the court to adopt new emergency measures.
On May 24, the court ordered Israel to “immediately” end its military offensive in Rafah and open the main border crossing for humanitarian aid “without hindrance”.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas also demanded the “unconditional” release of those killed in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
“We must all support the court, the preventive measures aimed at stopping the military operation will be followed,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told the economic forum.
“Also, it is important to strengthen the United Nations by supporting the role of the Court as the highest judicial organ of the rules-based international system.
“Undoubtedly: Spain stands on the right side of history”.
Although ICJ judgments are legally binding, the court has no specific means of enforcing them. For example, Russia was ordered to stop its attack on Ukraine, but to no avail.
Spain is one of the European countries most critical of Israel in the war in Gaza.
The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP, based on official Israeli data.
Israel’s retaliatory military strikes have killed at least 36,654 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-ruled region’s health ministry.
Spain joins South Africa’s Gaza case at UN top court
