Belgium has officially announced it is joining the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the Israeli state of violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention in relation to its military operations in Gaza.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ICJ – the United Nations’ highest judicial body based in The Hague – confirmed that Belgium had filed a formal declaration of intervention in the ongoing case. The move places Belgium among a growing number of countries backing South Africa’s initiative, which also includes Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey. These states are seeking to contribute to the legal proceedings examining whether Israel’s actions in Gaza breach international obligations under the Genocide Convention.
South Africa initially filed the case in December 2023, in the aftermath of Israel’s military response to the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas. Pretoria argues that the Israeli offensive represents a “grave violation of international law” and constitutes acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.
Israel has firmly rejected the accusations, maintaining that its military operations are directed solely at Hamas, an organization designated as terrorist by numerous countries. Israeli authorities have argued that the actions fall within their right to self-defense and have denounced the case as a politically motivated misuse of the ICJ process.
