By Moaz Nasir
TWA
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On Wednesday, Ireland announced its intention to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, marking the strongest signal to date of Dublin’s concern about Israeli operations in Gaza since October 7.
Foreign Minister Micheal Martin clarified that while the World Court would ultimately decide whether genocide was being committed, he wanted to emphasize that Hamas’ October 7 attack and the ongoing situation in Gaza constituted a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale.”
Martin’s statement highlighted several grave issues: the taking of hostages, purposeful withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and the use of civilian objects for military purposes. The collective punishment of an entire population was also condemned.
The international community’s stance is clear: enough is enough.
In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, ordered Israel to refrain from any acts falling under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians. South Africa had accused Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza.
Israel and its Western allies dismissed the allegation as baseless. A final ruling in South Africa’s ICJ case in The Hague may take years. While Martin did not specify the form of intervention, he emphasized that the decision followed legal and policy analysis and consultations with partners, including South Africa.
Ireland, a longstanding advocate for Palestinian rights, recently joined Spain, Malta, and Slovenia in taking initial steps toward recognizing the statehood declared by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israel responded by labeling the countries’ plan a “prize for terrorism,” potentially hindering prospects for a negotiated resolution between the neighboring nations.
