Cuba has officially declared its intention to join South Africa’s genocide case against "Israel" before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the court announced on Monday.

"Cuba, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip," the court said in a statement.

South Africa initiated legal proceedings against "Israel" in December 2023, accusing violations of the Genocide Convention concerning Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Since then, several countries, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, and Turkiye, have joined the case.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel reaffirmed his country’s unwavering support for Palestine in light of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

In a post on X, Diaz-Canel also confirmed that Cuba had formally joined, as a third party, South Africa’s case.

He emphasized that this move underscores Cuba’s steadfast solidarity with Palestine and its condemnation of any policies that undermine the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and independence.

Similarly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called on the ICJ to take a firm stand against the impunity of "Israel" and its allies.

In early November 2024, South Africa said it had filed a memorial with the ICJ claiming evidence of a genocide committed by "Israel" in the Gaza Strip.

The document cannot be made public but was "over 750 pages of text, supported by exhibits and annexes of over 4,000 pages", the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa announced.

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