Turkey to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel

Turkey is joining South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement in Ankara on Wednesday.

He said the legal details of taking part in the lawsuit were still being worked out.

At the end of December, South Africa took Israel to the top UN court in The Hague for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention.

South Africa contends that Israel is committing “systematic” acts of genocide in Gaza, citing examples of military violence and statements by Israeli politicians and military brass.

Israel has denounced the lawsuit, calling it “unfounded” and “absurd.”

The ICJ issued an interim ruling in January in which it recognised a risk of genocide in the Gaza Strip but did not oblige Israel to end its military operation there.

The court said that Israel needed to take all necessary measures to prevent genocidal acts.

Turkish President, Recep Erdoğan, is a staunch critic of the Israeli military operation in Gaza to crush the Hamas movement, which launched an unprecedented attack on Oct. 7 that left some 1,200 people dead in Israel.

Erdoğan also accused Israel of committing “genocide.”