Türkiye submits proposal to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

Turkey on Wednesday formally submitted its candidacy to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel over the Gaza war at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş announced.

“We will continue our efforts to have Israel tried in international courts for the crime of genocide and to receive the harshest punishment it deserves for the crimes committed by Netanyahu and his gang,” Kurtulmuş wrote on the X social media platform.

In late December, South Africa took Israel to the UN’s top court in The Hague over alleged violations of the Genocide Convention.

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

Israel denounced the process as “totally unfounded”.

In late May, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately end the controversial military operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

In addition to Turkey, several other countries, including Spain as the first EU country, have joined the process.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Israel of “genocide” over its war against Hamas, the militant group that launched an unprecedented attack on October 7 that left some 1,200 people dead in Israel.

Erdoğan has good relations with Hamas.

Ten months after Israel’s air and ground offensive, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 39,600 people have died in the Palestinian territory.