Ireland joins South Africa's lawsuit against Israel at ICJ

CAIRO – 7 January 2025: Ireland has officially applied to the International Court of Justice [ICJ] on Tuesday to join South Africa in its case against Israel for genocide.

By joining the case in accordance with Article 63 of the Court’s Charter, it is possible to make a general statement on the interpretation of Genocide, in addition to events relating to the basis of the dispute.

Ireland, in accordance with the article, relies on its status as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948 (“the Genocide Convention”), as Ireland considers that Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Convention are in question, and in its declaration, Ireland presents its interpretation of Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention.

On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel before the International Court of Justice, on the grounds of its involvement in acts of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and thus its violation of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.

The Israeli occupation is continuing its aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of 45,885 people, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 109,196 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.