Bolivia Joins Hands With South Africa In Genocide Case Against Israel At ICJ | All About The Case

This development comes days after Israel and the world marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attack and the ongoing bombardment in the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The Latin American country filed an appeal before the World Court on October 9, two days after the one-year anniversary of the war, accusing Israel of "perpetrating genocidal acts" in the Gaza Strip.

Bolivia further agreed with South Africa and stated that Israel is in violation of the Genocide Convention of 1948.

Along with Bolivia, Colombia, Libya, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Turkey and others have also joined in on the case and accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

What Has Bolivia Told The ICJ?

As per the official submission made by the Bolivian government, the South American country has sought intervention to "condemn the crime of genocide".

"Israel’s genocidal war continues, and the Court’s orders remain dead letters to Israel. Bolivia seeks to intervene since it considers that it has a responsibility to condemn the crime of genocide,” said the official statement.

Due to the ongoing and intense bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, Bolivia also cut its diplomatic ties with Israel in November 2022.

Since October 7, 2023, nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on Gaza. Furthermore, as tensions with Iran flare up once again, the war has extended into Lebanon, where Israeli forces are now working towards eliminating the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Which Countries Have Joined The Case?

As per official documents issued by the International Court of Justice, a total of 14 countries have now expressed their intention or have formally filed for intervention in the case against Israel. These are –

1. Nicaragua

2. Belgium

3. Ireland

4. Colombia

5. Turkey

6. Libya

7. Egypt

8. Maldives

9. Mexico

10. Chile

11. Palestine

12. Spain

13. Cuba

14. Bolivia

What Is The Case Against Israel?

South Africa filed a case against Israel on December 29, 2023, before the International Court of Justice, stating that the Jewish state is in violation of the 1948 Genocide convention.

Pretoria further alleged that Israel was in breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide through its military assault on the Palestinian territory.

South Africa also accused Israel of blocking humanitarian aid to the war-torn strip and using hunger and famine as tools of war. 

The case was heard on January 10 and 11, 2024, when Israel reiterated its right to defend itself and denied South Africa's allegations.

However, after the two-day hearing, the World Court called on Israel to scale back its offensive and report back to the court the progress it has made in reducing harm to civilians.

At the time of the hearing, the death toll in Gaza stood at 24,000. Despite the warning from ICJ, Israel is yet to scale back its offensive. With 42,000 people dead, Israel has extended its over into Lebanon, sparking fears of a bigger regional conflict.