261
Brazil is set to officially join South Africa’s lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza for its military campaign against Hamas. This was announced by Brazil’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, representing a major shift in the diplomatic policy of the country.
South Africa first launched the case in 2023, charging that Israel’s conduct in Gaza was a breach of the 1948 Genocide Convention. The case alleges Israel’s military action has gone beyond focusing on Hamas fighters, pointing to attacks on civilians such as raids on hospitals, schools, shelters, and refugee camps.
Brazil’s government spoke in similar terms, denouncing what it termed a breach of international law, including “the annexation of territories by force” and expressing “deep indignation” at violence against the civilian population in Gaza.
In supporting the case, Brazil is in the company of a number of other countries, including Spain, Turkey, and Colombia, which have made analogous applications in support of South Africa’s legal action. Israel has not admitted targeting civilians but maintains that its military campaigns are aimed at disassembling Hamas. Lawyers from Israel have also decried the ICJ case as an abuse of the genocide convention.
The Israeli embassy in Brasilia was not quick to issue a statement. The National Israeli Confederation (CONIB) of Brazil, though, described the action as a “misguided” move that diminishes the long-standing partnership between Brazil and Israel, calling it a show of “extremism” in the foreign policy of Brazil.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticized publicly Israel’s actions in Gaza, and the decision of his government to join the case is preceded by increasing diplomatic tension not just with Israel, but with the United States, which imposed high tariffs recently on Brazilian products.
