Above photo: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wearing a keffiyeh, speaks with a Palestinian official after inaugurating Brazil Street alongside Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (right), outside the Palestinian Authority headquarters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on March 17, 2010. Marina Passos/AFP/File photo.
According to Folha de S. Paulo, Brazil will formally request to participate in the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Tel Aviv. The Brazilian news outlet stated that the complaint before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeks to have the actions committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip recognized as genocide.
South Africa filed a case at the ICJ in 2023, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The complaint, rooted in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, alleges that Israel’s military operations since October 2023 have targeted the Palestinian population with the intent to destroy their group in whole or in part.
South Africa cited Israel’s actions, including widespread civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and restrictions on humanitarian aid, as evidence of systemic violence. The case also references Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and its policies toward Palestinians in violation of international law.
The complaint has intensified global debates over Israel’s military actions and the role of international institutions in addressing war crimes and genocide. South Africa, a former apartheid state, has long advocated for Palestinian rights, framing the conflict as a modern-day struggle against systemic oppression. The ICJ’s ruling, expected in 2025, could set a precedent for holding states accountable for genocide, though its enforcement remains uncertain.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira announced his decision in an interview with the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera. According to Vieira, the decision responds to the escalation of Israeli attacks against the Palestinian civilian population in recent months, as reported by O Globo.
“The latest revelations of the war have led us to decide to join South Africa at the ICJ,” declared Vieira.
By formally joining the proceedings, Brazil becomes an interested party in the case. This allows the country to present written reports, support oral arguments, and participate in subsequent phases of the proceedings.
Politically, Brazil also aligns itself with nations that have harshly criticized Israel’s military conduct in Gaza and advocate for greater international accountability for war crimes and genocide. Ireland, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Libya, Türkiye, the Maldives, and Palestine have already joined the legal process.
This move contrasts with Western powers, primarily the US, which has endorsed Israel’s military operations. Washington recently imposed sanctions against the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, over her repeated accusations of genocide against Israel.
