The countries that support South Africa's complaint against Israel for genocide in Gaza

South Africa accused Israel this Thursday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest jurisdiction of the UN, of failing to comply with the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, and affirmed that Not even the Hamas attack of October 7 justifies the scope of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

(Also: South Africa accuses Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza; Jewish state called it 'hypocrisy')

South Africa assured that the “genocidal acts” of which it accuses Israel “are not marginal, and are incorporated into state policy” in Tel Aviv, and pointed out as proof the “language of systematic dehumanization” used by senior Israeli officials to describe the Palestinians of Gaza as “human animals.”

The Ministry of Health of the enclave, controlled by Hamas, reported precisely this Thursday a new toll of at least 23,469 deaths in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war between the Palestinian Islamist movement and Israel.

The authorities also reported 59,604 injuries. The dead are mostly women, adolescents and children, according to the authorities of the Islamist movement in the enclave.

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During the hearing, South African lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi noted that “Israel's genocidal intent is rooted in the belief that the enemy is not just the military wing of Hamas, or even Hamas in general, but is embedded in the fabric of Palestinian life in Gaza”. He added that “Israel is the occupying power that controls Gaza. It controls entry, exit and internal movement within Gaza.”

In the midst of this case, which focuses on Israel's alleged violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, approved in 1948 and in force in 152 countries, some nations have publicly expressed their support for the appeal. presented by South Africa.

(You can read: Colombia supports South Africa's lawsuit against Israel in The Hague for 'acts of genocide')

Bolivia

The Government of Bolivia on Sunday described as “historic” the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Bolivia “values ​​the historic action undertaken by the Republic of South Africa” ​​by “Israel's violations of its obligations under the Genocide Convention to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Venezuela

In a statement, the Government of Venezuela expressed this Tuesday that it “positively values” South Africa's “historic action” against Israel and recognized “South Africa's firm and historic step in defense of the Palestinian people” through this action that, in its opinion, of Caracas, “must be accompanied by the entire international community, with an urgent call for respect for life and human dignity.”

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“Venezuela reiterates that multilateral instances of justice must act based on the norms and principles of international law and, in the face of this act of genocide, they must rise to the occasion of the serious facts that constitute a clear aggression against humanity and, in particular , the Palestinian people”added the Government of Nicolás Maduro.

Nicaragua

The Government chaired by Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua also welcomed this Tuesday the demand presented by South Africa.

Nicaragua highlighted that South Africa's suit also includes a request for the Court to order provisional measures ordering Israel to “halt its military campaign in Gaza to protect against further harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention.”and to ensure Israel's compliance with its obligations under the Convention.”

“Nicaragua considers that the legal action against Israel before the ICJ is a concrete step in compliance with the legal obligations that each State party to the Genocide Convention has the right and duty to take, and is also the first step towards surrender.” to the international community,” he continued.

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The Arab League

The Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Abulgueit, said this Wednesday in statements to the press that he “fully supports the complaint presented by South Africa against Israel before the ICJ on the accusation of committing crimes of genocide”, within the framework of the Convention to the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948.

“I aspire for a just sentence that stops this hostile war and puts an end to the shedding of Palestinian blood”said Abulgueit, who emphasized the support of the general secretariat of the Arab League “for the South African effort with all possible measures.” He also thanked South Africa and its government “for taking this preliminary stance that puts morality and human values ​​above all other considerations.”

Cuba

The Cuban Government expressed this Thursday its support for the procedure initiated by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained in a statement that this step by South Africa “must be understood and heeded as an urgent call to stop the horrific international crimes of genocide, against humanity and apartheid being committed against the Palestinian people”.

In his opinion, Israel is committing in Gaza “a crime of genocide” of “extreme proportions”, which requires “joint action by the peoples and governments of the world” to “immediately stop the indiscriminate extermination of girls, boys, women and civilian population in general”.

Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced this Wednesday Brazil's support for South Africa's international complaint against Israel for genocide.

“In light of the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, the president expressed his support for South Africa's initiative to ask the International Court of Justice to order Israel to immediately cease all acts and measures that may constitute genocide or crimes related under the terms of the Convention for the Prevention and Suppression of the Crime of Genocide,” the Brazilian Foreign Ministry reported in a statement.

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Colombia

The Government of Colombia welcomed this Wednesday the complaint presented by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as it considers “It is very clear that the actions and measures” of the Israeli Government “configure acts of genocide,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement..

“As a State, Israel is obliged to prevent and avoid these types of international criminal offenses at all costs and, consequently, its failure to comply with these commitments entails its responsibility to the entire world,” indicated the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. , which considered these obligations “overrun.”

In this context, The Colombian Government considered that South Africa's lawsuit is “a brave step in the right direction” and, therefore, is willing to “accompany this judicial action.”.

The Foreign Ministry added that it hopes that the ICJ “will rule without delay on the request for the urgent provisional measures requested by South Africa and adopt decisions that will allow the bloodbath in Gaza and the occupied territories to cease.”

Iran

Iran announced this Thursday its support for the complaint filed by South Africa: “The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the action of the South African Government as responsible, brave and honorable in support of the Palestinian people and calls on the international community to take decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice. for these crimes are held accountable,” he said in a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Tehran denounced that “the Zionist regime” has committed “all types of crimes specified in international conventions against the oppressed Palestinian people and these atrocities continue.”

In Asia

Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives are the Asian countries that have so far expressed their support for South Africa's accusation against Israel for genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The four are Muslim-majority countries that have expressed in recent days their support for the accusation that South Africa.

Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country whose government has spoken out strongly against Israel's military response following the Hamas attack on October 7, said in a statement on January 2 that South Africa's complaint is “timely” and a step “tangible” towards Israel's accountability for its “atrocities” in Gaza.

Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives, the latter in the midst of a diplomatic crisis with India (which maintains close ties with Israel but has also condemned the deaths in Gaza), announced their support for South Africa's initiative against Israel during a session of the Assembly. UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

“Israel's war in Gaza is brutal and a true genocide,” said Usman Jadadoon, Pakistan's deputy permanent representative to the UN, welcoming South Africa's complaint.

Türkiye

The Turkish Foreign Ministry made public on January 3 its “satisfaction” with the complaint presented by South Africa, supporting the proposal for preventive measures and promising that it would “follow up” on their implementation.

Turkey is a historical ally of Israel, and although relations have deteriorated since the coming to power of the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in 2002, with two periods of rupture in the last decade, the two countries reestablished full diplomatic relations on last year, with presidential visits and plans for close cooperation.

But after the Hamas attack on October 7, Erdogan denounced the Israeli response of massive bombings on Gaza as a “war crime” and Israel withdrew its ambassador at the end of October..

This Thursday it was learned that a parliamentary delegation from Turkey, led by the head of the Chamber's Justice Commission, Cüneyt Yüksel, has traveled to The Hague to follow the first hearing in the accusation of genocide against Israel.

Jordan

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said last Sunday that his country supports the accusation of genocide presented by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and indicated that the Hashemite kingdom will also “present a legal case to the court.” “, without providing more details.

Safadi also said that day that His country is coordinating with several Arab capitals to draw up a plan, based on the two-state solution, to end the war in the Gaza Strip and resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine..

Namibia

Namibia's permanent representative to the UN, Neville Gertze, said this week that his country “welcomes and supports” South Africa's legal action, adding that “Namibia identifies and aligns itself with the arguments presented by South Africa.”

WILLIAM MORENO HERNÁNDEZ
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
TIME