Declaration of Intervention – Chile Requests to Join South Africa’s Genocide Case against Israel at ICJ

Chilean President Gabriel Boric. (Photo: Gobierno de Chile, via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

South Africa and Israel have been invited by the ICJ to submit written observations in response to Chile’s declaration.

Chile has officially filed a declaration of intervention in the case by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide in its military onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

‘Yesterday, Chile, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel),” the ICJ said in a press statement on Friday.

Chile’s intervention, submitted under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, asserts its interest in the construction of the Genocide Convention as it applies to the case.

PRESS RELEASE: #Chile, invoking Article 63 of the #ICJ Statute, filed a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (#SouthAfrica v. #Israel) https://t.co/RZrdodMcoC pic.twitter.com/7MXETCqh7C

— CIJ_ICJ (@CIJ_ICJ) September 13, 2024

According to Article 63, any state party to a convention that is under judicial consideration has the right to intervene, making the ICJ’s interpretation of that convention binding on them as well.

“Chile considers the construction of Articles I, II, III, IV, V, VI and IX of the Genocide Convention to be in question in the present case. In its declaration, it sets out its interpretation of these provisions,” the statement said.

More Countries

Chile’s move underscores its concern over the legal interpretation of these provisions, given the gravity of the allegations being raised in the onslaught on Gaza.

South Africa and Israel have been invited by the ICJ to submit written observations in response to Chile’s declaration.

The court’s judgment on the matter will be binding not only on the original parties involved but also on Chile, in accordance with the rules governing such interventions.

‘Facts and Evidence’ – South Africa Says ICJ Genocide Case against Israel Will Continue

On December 29 last year, South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Other countries have since joined the case, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, the State of Palestine, Spain, and Türkiye.

South Africa said on Tuesday it was to press ahead with the case and will file its memorial next month.

“South Africa intends to provide facts and evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine,” the presidency said in a statement. “This case will continue until the court makes a finding.”

The country has until October 28 to provide the UN court with its arguments for the case.

Over 41,000 Killed

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,118 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 95,125 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Strikes on ‘Safe Areas’ – Israel’s Bloody Negotiations Strategy in Gaza

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.

(Anadolu, PC)