On Thursday, Spain said that it would support South Africa’s appeal before the UN’s highest court, where Pretoria has charged Israel with committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
At a press conference, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated, “Our sole goal is to put an end to the war and to advance on the road of applying the two-state solution.”
His remarks were made one week after Israel became enraged when Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized the state of Palestine.
Bringing the case before the International Court of Justice last year, South Africa claimed that Israel had violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention with its Gaza offensive, which was carried out in retribution for an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas.
Israel has vehemently refuted the charge.
ICJ, headquartered in The Hague, was established following World War II to arbitrate conflicts between governments.
On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to guarantee “unimpeded access” for UN-appointed investigators to probe claims of genocide.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) mandated on January 26 that Israel take all necessary precautions to avoid genocide while conducting military operations in Gaza.
However, South Africa has since made numerous trips back to the ICJ, claiming that the grave humanitarian situation in the region forces the court to impose additional emergency measures.
The court gave Israel until May 24 to “immediately” stop its military assault in Rafah and maintain the main border crossing open for “unhindered” humanitarian deliveries.
It also demanded the “unconditional” release of captives kidnapped by Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization, during its October 7 attack that started the conflict.
Although ICJ decisions are legally enforceable, the court lacks practical tools to carry them out. For instance, it unsuccessfully ordered Russia to stop encroaching on Ukraine.
