Brazil files intervention in S. Africa genocide case against 'Israel'
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Brazil formally intervenes in the ICJ Gaza genocide case filed by South Africa against "Israel", citing obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
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South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, greets Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, prior to a group photo during the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, July 7, 2025 (AP)
Brazil formally submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in the case filed by South Africa against "Israel" concerning its violations of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip, the court announced on Friday.
The ICJ confirmed that Brazil lodged its declaration on Sept. 17, invoking Article 63 of the Court’s Statute, a provision granting states that are parties to a convention under interpretation in ICJ proceedings the right to intervene.
Brazil stated it was exercising this right as a party to the 1948 Genocide Convention, arguing in its submission that the court’s interpretation of Articles I, II, and III of the Convention is at stake, offering its own legal views on the matter.
The court, in line with Article 83 of the Rules of Court, has invited both South Africa and "Israel" to provide written observations on Brazil’s intervention.
Brazil joins a growing list of countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, Chile, and Ireland, that have sought to intervene in the case.
South Africa filed the case against "Israel" on Dec. 29, 2023, accusing it of violating obligations under the Genocide Convention in its actions against Palestinians in Gaza, and since then, the Court has issued a series of provisional measures ordering "Israel" to take steps to prevent acts of genocide.
UN commission says 'Israel' committing genocide in Gaza
On September 19, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) stated that a UN Commission of Inquiry's findings of genocide in Gaza vindicate South Africa's case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice for violating the Genocide Convention.
A United Nations commission concluded on September 16 that "Israel" is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, accusing the entity’s top leadership of incitement to genocide in what it described as the most authoritative UN finding to date.
At a Geneva press briefing, the UN commission, responding to a question from Al Mayadeen’s envoy, emphasized that a formal trial is necessary to substantiate that "Israel" is committing a genocide in Gaza and stressed that all states are legally obligated to use every available means to halt the ongoing atrocities.
In a 72-page report, the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry found that "Israel" had carried out four genocidal acts since October 7, 2023, including mass killings, inflicting serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately creating conditions of life aimed at destroying Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.
