Earlier today, Spain issued a statement announcing that it will join South Africa’s case at the UN’s top court in which Pretoria has accused Israel of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
According to ALARABIYA news, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said at a press conference: Our sole goal is to put an end to the war and to advance on the road of applying the two-state solution.
His statement came a week after Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, declared they recognize the state of Palestine, sparking fury from Israel.
Last year, South Africa brought a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging that Israel’s Gaza offensive, which was launched in retaliation for an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which Israel strongly denied.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), established after World War II and based in The Hague, rules on disputes between states.
On Friday, the ICJ issued an order for Israel to guarantee “unimpeded access” to UN-mandated investigators in order to investigate allegations of genocide. In a ruling on January 26, the ICJ further mandated Israel to take all possible measures to prevent acts of genocide during its military operation in Gaza.
However, South Africa has repeatedly brought cases to the ICJ, arguing that the severe humanitarian crisis in the territory necessitates the court to issue new emergency measures.
On May 24, the court demanded Israel to “immediately” cease its military offensive in the city of Rafah and to ensure the key border crossing remains open for “unhindered” humanitarian aid.
In addition, it called for the “unconditional” release of hostages taken by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during its October 7 assault, which ignited the war.
While ICJ rulings are legally binding, the court lacks concrete means to enforce them. For instance, it ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, but the ruling had no impact.
