Chile joins South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Saturday his country was joining South Africa in its case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of "genocide" in the Gaza war.

Speaking to the National Congress, Boric decried the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza and called for "a firm response from the international community."

"Chile will become a party to and support the case that South Africa presented against Israel before the International Court of Justice in The Hague," Boric said.

The ICJ is considering South Africa's case, but in the interim has brought in "preliminary measures" ordering Israel to do everything it could to prevent acts of genocide during its Gaza invasion.

The top UN court last month ordered Israel to halt military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where displaced Palestinians are seeking safety from Israel's military offensive.

'No justification'

Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.

Since then, one million have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.

Chile has recognised Palestine as a state since 2011, and Boric has previously said the war in Gaza has "no justification" and is "unacceptable."

Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza after Hamas-led resistance fighters stormed into southern Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's attack has killed at least 36,379 people in Gaza, mostly children and women, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave.