ICJ: Belgium Joins South African Proceedings Against Israel

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Tuesday that Belgium has joined the proceedings initiated by South Africa, which accuses Israel of committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.

This involvement does not imply that Belgium supports South Africa's accusations or defends Israel; rather, it indicates that Belgium will provide its interpretation of international law within the context of the case.

Several countries have already joined this case before the UN's highest court located in The Hague, including Brazil, Ireland, Bolivia, Colombia, Libya, Spain, and Mexico.

In a landmark ruling in January 2024—four months after the October 7 attacks and the onset of war between Israel and Hamas—the ICJ urged Israel to prevent any acts of genocide, warning of a "real and imminent risk" of "irreparable harm" to the Palestinians.

Without ruling on the merits of the case, it issued several provisional orders, notably demanding that Israel allow humanitarian aid access and prevent and punish incitement to genocide. These orders are legally binding, but the court lacks concrete means to enforce them.

Israel has criticized this procedure and denied these accusations.

The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, by an unprecedented attack from the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to a toll compiled by AFP from official figures.

It has led to over 70,369 deaths in the Gaza Strip, based on figures from the Hamas Health Ministry, considered reliable by the UN, and displaced the overwhelming majority of the 2.2 million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory.

In September, Belgium, France, and other countries announced their recognition of the State of Palestine.

However, Belgium's legal recognition of the territory has not been formalized, as Brussels demands that Hamas be excluded from Palestinian governance before passing a royal decree.

AFP