International Court of Justice is urged by Bogota to protect “the safety” and “the very existence” of the Palestinian people.
Colombia has requested permission from the International Court of Justice [ICJ] to intervene in South Africa’s lawsuit alleging that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, according to the court.
Colombia urged the court to guarantee “the safety and, indeed, the very existence of the Palestinian people” in its plea, which was made public by the ICJ on Friday.
The ICJ, the highest court of the United Nations and the only international court that hears cases between states, has the authority to hear arguments from states.
Although a number of states have expressed interest in becoming involved in the case, only Colombia and Nicaragua have formally submitted a public request as of yet.
Judges of the ICJ issued an order to Israel last Thursday, directing it to take all necessary and practical steps to guarantee that Palestinians in Gaza receive their essential food supply on time.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ, or World Court) issued an injunction in January compelling Israel to ensure that its troops do not commit crimes of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and to desist from any actions that might be considered violations of the genocide convention.
In the 2.4 million-person Palestinian enclave, Israel has not abated its killing and bombing campaign in defiance of ICJ directives.
The foreign ministry of Colombia called on other nations to “join the process.”
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has stated time and time again that he supports the South African action because he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is breaking the 1948 Convention for the Prevention of Genocide.
South Africa filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2023, accusing Israel of committing genocide in the beleaguered Gaza Strip. Referencing the 16-year siege of the blockaded enclave and the 56-year occupation, South Africa claimed that Israel’s conduct breached the Genocide Convention.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on January 26, 2024, that Israel must stop any potentially genocidal crimes and recognized that some acts by Israel that South Africa had claimed might be covered by the Genocide Convention.
famine emergency
Petro has spoken out for the Palestinian cause and has even made multiple threats to terminate ties with Israel.
Israel was mandated to “take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay… the unhindered provision… of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to Palestinians in Gaza by justices at the UN’s top court last week.
Over 33,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, over 75,000 have been injured, and over 2 million have been forced from their homes since Israeli forces invaded Gaza.
Gaza’s population, especially those in the north, is starving as a result of Israel’s harsh embargo.
Eighty-five percent of Gaza’s population is internally displaced due to the Israeli conflict, and the UN reports that sixty percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Food, clean water, and medicine are in short supply.
There are good reasons to think Israel is killing Palestinians in Gaza, according to Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the state of human rights in the Palestinian territories.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
