Belgium joins South Africa's case against Israel at International Court of Justice

Belgium submitted a formal request on Tuesday to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join South Africa's lawsuit against Israel. 

In a statement, the Netherlands-based court said that Belgium is focusing its intervention on the interpretation of the concept of "genocidal intent" set out in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The ICJ, which is the highest judicial body of the United Nations, said that Belgium had formally filed a declaration of intervention in the proceedings, based on Article 63 of the court's statute.

South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel in December 2023, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in its actions against Palestinians in Gaza.

Countries including Turkey, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico and Spain have joined this lawsuit.