A view of the International Court of Justice as Türkiye submitted a declaration to the UN’s highest court saying that it is joining South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, The Hague, Netherlands, August 7, 2024. /CFP
Türkiye on Wednesday filed a formal bid with the International Court of Justice to join South Africa’s lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Türkiye’s ambassador to the Netherlands, accompanied by a group of Turkish legislators, submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Türkiye becomes the latest nation seeking to participate in the case. Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Libya have also asked to join the case, as have Palestinian officials. The court’s decision on their requests is still pending.
“We have just submitted our application to the International Court of Justice to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wrote on the social media platform X. “Emboldened by the impunity for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day.”
“The international community must do its part to stop the genocide; it must put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters,” he said. “Türkiye will make every effort to do so.”
South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza.
If admitted to the case, the countries who joined would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings.
Preliminary hearings have already been held in the genocide case against Israel, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision.
The court on Wednesday confirmed that Türkiye filed a declaration for intervention in the case, adding that South Africa and Israel have been invited to “furnish written observations” on the request.
In a statement to the media, Hamas welcomed Türkiye’s request to join the lawsuit and said it affirms Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s support for the Palestinian cause.
A Palestinian old man sits on a chair near the rubble of a building destroyed in the Israeli attacks in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, August 7, 2024. /CFP
A seemingly endless cycle of violence-induced displacement is making it increasingly difficult for Gazans to access the assistance they need, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that relentless hostilities and recurring evacuation orders force displacement.
The office said repeated displacements, insecurity, access constraints and other challenges hamper the early detection of children and women needing nutrition services and constrain humanitarian partners’ ability to scale up their operational presence and store life-saving supplies.
The office said hostilities and the constant bombardment of Gaza caused numerous mass casualty incidents in recent weeks that have stretched humanitarian organizations’ ability to respond to trauma and emergency cases. Poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, and overcrowding are also driving disease outbreaks.
“The killing and displacement of Palestinians and the demolition of their homes and the destruction of the public infrastructure they rely on continue unabated,” OCHA said. “The United Nations and humanitarian partners in Gaza remain committed to delivering critical assistance to people across the Strip wherever and whenever possible.”
A Chinese envoy on Wednesday reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“As we speak, conflict in the Gaza Strip has been going on for over 300 days, with more than 10,000 women killed and over a million Palestinian women and girls facing famine,” said Dai Bing, charge d’affaires of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, at the Security Council briefing on sustaining WPS (women peace and security) commitments in the context of accelerated drawdown of peace operations.
Dai reiterated the call on all parties to respond to the “overwhelming consensus of the international community” and to jointly promote the “full and effective” implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe, and to contain the spillover of the conflict.
Palestinians collect usable items from the rubble as many buildings are destroyed and damaged as a result of the Israeli army attacks in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, August 7, 2024. /CFP
In his remarks, the ambassador emphasized that all efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and to create a peaceful environment for civilians, including women, are key prerequisites for advancing the WPS agenda.
China supports the United Nations and the Security Council in formulating clear and feasible transition plans and exit strategies for peace operations based on fully heeding and respecting the will of the countries concerned and aligning with the national development strategies and priority areas of the countries concerned, to ensure a smooth transition, he said.
Red Sea tensions weigh
Yemen’s Houthi armed group on Wednesday claimed it had attacked two warships of the United States and another commercial vessel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, using anti-ship ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones.
“We targeted the Contship Ono vessel in the Red Sea with several ballistic missiles and drones, and the hit was accurate,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the group’s TV al-Masirah.
“We targeted the American destroyer (the Houthi identified it as Cole) in the Gulf of Aden with several drones, and the operation achieved its goal successfully,” said Sarea.
He added that the group “also targeted the American destroyer (the Houthi identified it as Laboon) with several ballistic missiles.”
“Targeting the two American destroyers came while they were crossing our area of operations towards the northern Red Sea to protect the Israeli enemy,” Sarea said.
“We consider all U.S. military movements in our area as hostile movements and will not hesitate to attack them,” he said, affirming that his group’s attacks would continue until the conflict in Gaza is stopped.
Since November last year, the Houthi group has been targeting ships it claimed linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the U.S.-British coalition in the area has since been targeting Houthi military sites to deter the group, which only led to an escalation of Houthi attacks.
Several shipping companies have since changed their routes to the southern tip of Africa to avoid drone and missile attacks.