DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland announced on Wednesday it would intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, in the strongest demonstration yet of Dublin's concern over Israeli operations in Gaza since Oct. 7.
Announcing the move, Foreign Secretary Michael Martin said that while it is up to the world court to decide whether genocide is being committed, the October 7 Hamas attack and what is currently happening in Gaza He said he wanted to make clear that the incident “represents a clear violation of human rights.” Applying international humanitarian law at scale. ”
“Hostage taking. Deliberate withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians. Targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Use of civilian goods for military purposes throughout the country. collective punishment of the people,” Martin said in a statement.
“The list goes on. It has to stop. The international community's view is clear: Enough is enough.”
In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, ordered Israel to refrain from acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention, following South Africa's condemnation of Israel. He ordered them to ensure that they do not commit acts of genocide. State-sponsored genocide in Gaza.
Israel and its Western allies said the allegations were baseless. A final judgment in South Africa's ICJ case in The Hague could take years.
Mr Martin did not outline what form the intervention would take or the discussions Ireland plans to take, but the measure will be subject to legal and policy analysis and discussions with multiple partners, including South Africa. It added that the decision was made after consultation.
Mr Martin's ministry said that while such third-party intervention does not take sides in a conflict, it does reflect Ireland's interpretation of one or more of the provisions of the Genocide Convention at issue in the case. He said that it would be an opportunity to present.
The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to an Israeli tally. Since then, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 32,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Authority.
Ireland, a long-time champion of Palestinian rights, last week took the first step towards recognizing the state declared by the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, along with Spain, Malta and Slovenia.
Israel told the countries that its plan amounted to “retribution for terrorism” that would reduce the possibility of a negotiated solution to the conflict between neighboring countries.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by William Maclean)