Brazil and Colombia campaign from Latin America South Africa complains against Israel for genocide in Gaza

The governments of Brazil and Colombia have joined countries that have diplomatically backed the genocide complaint South Africa filed against Israel at the end of the year over the Gaza war, where 23,000 Palestinians, or 1% of the enclave, have died. Both the population executives announced their diplomatic support for the…

The governments of Brazil and Colombia have joined countries that have diplomatically backed the genocide complaint South Africa filed against Israel at the end of the year over the Gaza war, where 23,000 Palestinians, or 1% of the enclave, have died. The two executives announced their diplomatic support for the initiative hours before the population began hearings in The Hague this Thursday in which the UN’s top court has begun analyzing South Africa’s request for immediate precautionary measures, including a cessation of hostilities. Pretoria has accused the “highest levels of the Israeli government” of inciting genocide in Gaza with phrases such as “wiping Gaza off the face of the earth”.

Brasilia said in its statement that “in light of the clear violations of international humanitarian law, the President (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) expressed his support for South Africa’s initiative to order the International Court of Justice to immediately cease all acts by Israel and the prevention of the crime of genocide. and measures which may constitute genocide or related crimes under the terms of the Convention on Punishment.”

In addition to Brazil and Colombia, Pretoria’s initiative to move to a court that judges states, not peoples, has found support elsewhere in the global South. Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba have also joined the Latin American countries. From the rest of the world, Jordan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Maldives, the Arab League (which brings together 22 countries that share that language) and the Organization of Islamic Countries.

For Colombia, the complaint before the UN court is “a brave step in the right direction”. His Foreign Ministry maintained that “it is very clear that the actions and measures adopted by the Israeli government constitute acts of genocide,” according to a foreign affairs note President Gustavo Petro also circulated on his social networks. Bogotá urges the court to rule quickly when the hearings are completed and to make decisions “that will stop the flow of blood in Gaza and the occupied territories.”

Brazil’s foreign ministry recalled in its note that it immediately condemned “the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7” and reiterated that “such acts do not justify the indiscriminate, repeated and disproportionate use of force by Israel against civilians.” The decision to support South Africa’s complaint was announced after the president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met with the Palestinian ambassador to Brasilia, Ibrahim Alzeben.

In the statement, Brasilia summarized the effects of the Israeli invasion in a handful of data. It underlines that 70% of the 23,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza in these three months are “women and children” and that another “7,000 people are missing” under the rubble. In addition “80% of the population is subject to forced displacement” and that “and health, water, energy and food supply systems have collapsed, a symptom of collective punishment.”

For Bolivia, South Africa’s move to international courts is “a historic step in the defense of the Palestinian people” and an effort “that should be supported by the international community calling for respect for life”. chancellery.

The International Court of Justice is now analyzing whether to order precautionary measures, as requested by South Africa, to prevent the alleged genocide. You will only go into the merits of the complaint later and the case may take years. The court also has no coercive means to ensure the execution of its sentence.

On October 7, an offensive by Hamas militias in Israel killed 1,200 people. As the Israeli government’s military response has intensified and casualties in Gaza have increased, movements before international courts have increased. Last November, South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, which tries people, to investigate the situation in Palestine.

Chile, the country with the largest community of Palestinian origin outside the Arab world, also intends to go to the International Criminal Court, as its ambassador to the UN announced in the General Assembly on Tuesday: “Chile will immediately present a referral on this. The situation in Palestine urge the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to request an investigation into international crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, in which we hope that other countries can join, “said Ambassador, socialist Paula Narvaez. “Chile is not indifferent to the suffering of the Palestinian people, ” President Gabriel Boric added, explaining why his country will go to the ICC. In parallel, the government has sent its ambassador to the Netherlands to follow the hearing of the UN Court in The Hague on precautionary measures in the genocide case which will continue this Friday.

The Palestinian cause is one of the most passionate of the Colombian president, who closely follows the escalation of the conflict and frequently shares his views through his X account. In recent months, Petro announced the opening of an embassy in Palestine, summoned its ambassador to Israel for consultations, supported a complaint for crimes against humanity that Algeria presented to the International Criminal Court and asked that the UN admit Palestine as a full member.

Subscribe here Newsletter EL PAÍS Get all the main information on current events from the Americas and in the region