Colombia's bid to join Gaza genocide case against Israel at ICJ advances

Colombia has asked the International Court of Justice [ICJ] to allow the country to intervene in South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, the court said.

In its application shared by ICJ on Friday, Colombia called on the court to ensure "the safety and, indeed, the very existence of the Palestinian people".

The ICJ, the only international court that adjudicates disputes between nations, and the highest UN court, can allow states to intervene and give their views.

Several states have said they would also seek to intervene in the case but so far only Colombia and Nicaragua have officially filed a public request.

Last week ICJ judges ordered Israel to take all necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies arrive without delay to Palestinians in Gaza.

In January the ICJ, also known as the World Court, ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the genocide convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.

Despite ICJ orders, Israel has continued its killing and bombing spree in the tiny enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry urged other countries to "join the process."

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has repeatedly expressed his support for the South African lawsuit as he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is violating the rules of the 1948 Convention for the Prevention of Genocide.

On December 29, 2023, South Africa initiated a case against Israel before the ICJ, accusing the country of genocide in besieged Gaza. South Africa alleged that Israel's actions violated the Genocide Convention, citing the 56-year occupation, and 16-year blockade of the blockaded enclave.

On January 26, 2024, the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent any potentially genocidal acts and acknowledged that some acts by Israel claimed by South Africa in its lawsuit may fall under the Genocide Convention.

Starvation crisis

Petro has defended the Palestinian cause, even threatening to break relations with Israel on several occasions.

Last week, judges at the UN’s top court ordered Israel to "take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay … the unhindered provision … of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance" to Palestinians in Gaza.

Since Israeli forces began their invasion of Gaza, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 75,000 wounded and over 2 million have been driven from their homes.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, starving.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said recently there were reasonable grounds to believe Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.