Belgium has formally joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, escalating a landmark legal challenge that accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and deepening international pressure over the conduct of the war.
In a statement, the ICJ — the United Nations’ highest court — confirmed that Brussels has filed a declaration of intervention, aligning itself with South Africa’s case under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The move places Belgium among a growing bloc of countries seeking to weigh in on one of the most consequential international legal proceedings in decades.
Belgium joins Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey, all of which have already intervened in the case since South Africa filed its application in December 2023. Pretoria alleges that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes a breach of the Genocide Convention, accusing Israel of actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population in the territory.
Israel has categorically rejected the genocide accusation, calling it false, inflammatory, and a distortion of international law. Israeli officials have argued that the military campaign is a legitimate act of self-defense following Hamas’s October 7 attack, and that Israel takes steps to minimize civilian harm while targeting a terrorist organization embedded within civilian infrastructure. Jerusalem has sharply criticized the ICJ proceedings, accusing South Africa and its allies of politicizing the court and undermining Israel’s right to defend itself.
The ICJ is currently examining provisional measures ordered earlier in the case, which called on Israel to take steps to prevent acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to allow greater humanitarian access to Gaza. A final ruling on the merits of the case could take years.
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2 out of 3 Belgium provinces have banned shecitah!
Belgium federal police just decided to pull their officers off Antwerp’s street protecting the large Jewish community, although the local police made it clear they don’t have the resources to give adequate protection.