Egypt announced on Sunday its formal backing of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), citing ongoing Israeli aggression in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that Egypt’s support stems from Israel’s “continued perpetration of systematic practices against the Palestinian people, including direct targeting of civilians, destruction of infrastructure in the enclave, and pushing Palestinians to be displaced from their land.”
According to the ministry’s statement, Israeli offensives have “led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, creating unlivable conditions in the Gaza Strip, in flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”
Although the statement did not detail the nature of the support Egypt would offer South Africa in the litigation, it follows South Africa’s request to the ICJ on Friday to issue a new order for Israel to immediately cease the Rafa operation and withdraw from the southernmost Gazan city.
South Africa argued that the assault on Rafah posed an “extreme risk” to humanitarian supplies sent to Gaza and basic services in the besieged enclave.
The ongoing massive Israeli attacks on Gaza over the past seven months have reportedly resulted in more than 35,000 Palestinians killed and over 78,700 others wounded, according to the latest update from Gaza’s health authorities on Sunday.
In a landmark interim ruling in January, the United Nations Hague-based ICJ ordered Israel to take all necessary measures “to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide” and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In March, the ICJ ordered further “provisional measures” to be taken by Israel to ensure the delivery of “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza.”
South Africa submitted the case in late December, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Israel has rejected these claims as groundless.
The Israeli onslaught on Gaza followed a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israeli towns, resulting in about 1,200 Israelis killed and around 250 others taken hostage.
