Palestinian officials have submitted an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking permission to intervene in a case filed by South Africa, which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
The request, published on Monday, alleges that Israel’s ongoing military operation is part of a systematic effort to erase Palestinian society, culture, and social institutions.
The application was made on behalf of the “State of Palestine” and signed by Ammar Hijazi, a foreign ministry official of the Palestinian Authority.
South Africa filed its case with the ICJ last year, accusing Israel of breaching the genocide convention in its military assault on Gaza.
Israel has denied the allegations, stating that its military operation is aimed at crushing Hamas, which it blames for the deadly October 7 attacks. However, the Israeli invasion has resulted in widespread destruction, cutting off the flow of food, medicine, and other essential supplies to Palestinians, who are facing severe hunger.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli bombardments and ground operations have killed over 36,000 Palestinians, including both combatants and civilians.
The ICJ has issued three preliminary orders in the case, calling on Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent further deaths, increase humanitarian aid, and halt its offensive in Rafah. It is unclear how long the court’s judges will take to rule on the Palestinian request. If granted, Palestinian officials will be able to address the court in writing and during public hearings.
In their request, the Palestinians stated that they are directly affected by South Africa’s case against Israel and that Israel’s actions are in violation of the court’s orders. They alleged that Israel is deliberately impeding humanitarian aid, resulting in an intentionally engineered situation of starvation and a creeping famine.
This is not the first time the Palestinians have approached the ICJ. In 2018, the Palestinian Authority filed a case asking the court to order the United States to remove its relocated embassy from Jerusalem. That case remains pending before the court, where cases can take years to resolve.
The ICJ rules on cases between states, and the United Nations General Assembly recently voted to grant Palestine some new rights and privileges. However, Palestine remains a non-member observer state without full UN membership and voting rights.
The United States has made it clear that it will block Palestinian membership and statehood until direct negotiations with Israel resolve key issues and lead to a two-state solution.
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