ANKARA / GENEVA

Türkiye on Wednesday submitted a declaration to the UN’s highest court saying that it is joining South Africa's genocide case against Israel.

The Turkish delegation including Turkish Ambassador in The Hague Selcuk Unal and Justice and Development (AK) Party Istanbul lawmaker Cuneyt Yuksel submitted Türkiye’s file to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Türkiye thus became a party to the genocide case, joining Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, and Spain, who have also joined South Africa, which first filed the case last December.

Ankara's move is expected to be pivotal to the case, and is likely to encourage other countries in the region to join in as well.

Yuksel told reporters before submitting the file that Türkiye has monitored the case very closely since the beginning.

He stressed that Israel has failed to implement previous ICJ provisional orders and acted without recognizing the law.

Türkiye will now “directly intervene” in the case, Yuksel vowed.

Türkiye’s file is expected to support South Africa's arguments and address how the Genocide Convention should be applied to Israel's actions in Gaza since last Oct. 7.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.

Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7, and is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the ICJ, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

Genocide case against Israel

South Africa initiated the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ last Dec. 26, alleging that Tel Aviv was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention due to its ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The ICJ responded by issuing provisional measures on Jan. 26, requiring Israel to take steps to prevent genocidal acts, including halting military actions, ensuring humanitarian aid access, and preserving evidence of violations.

Following an additional request from South Africa, the ICJ on March 28 mandated Israel facilitate urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensure Palestinian rights, and later report on the measures it had taken to implement this decision.

On May 24, the ICJ found earlier measures insufficient due to the dire humanitarian situation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, ordering Israel to immediately cease military attacks, keep the Rafah border crossing open for aid, and allow UN investigators access to the Palestinian enclave.