Bolivia Joins South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel at ICJ

Bolivia has formally joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the nation of committing “genocidal acts” in its ongoing conflict with Gaza, The Associated Press reports.

The South American nation filed an application on Tuesday to intervene in the case, joining a growing list of states including Colombia, Libya, Spain, Mexico, Palestine, Nicaragua and Turkey.

The ICJ previously ruled in January that Israel must take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza and grant unrestricted access to UN investigators. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the ruling as “outrageous” and affirmed Israel’s continued “just war.”

In response to Israel’s failure to comply with the ICJ’s orders, South Africa returned to the court, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. In late May, the ICJ ordered Israel to immediately halt its offensive in Rafah, a ruling Israel also ignored.

Bolivia, which severed ties with Israel in November, argued in its submission to the ICJ that “Israel’s genocidal war continues, and the Court’s orders remain dead letters to Israel.”

The yearlong conflict in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 42,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. This represents a staggering one out of every 55 people living in the enclave. The conflict was triggered by an attack by Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of 1,139 people in Israel on October 7, 2023.