Turkey has formally requested to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This action increases international pressure on the Israeli government to halt its attacks on Gaza. A Turkish delegation, which includes Turkey’s ambassador to The Hague, Selcuk Unal, submitted the official request on Wednesday, according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu. In a statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it emphasized that the country’s decision to intervene reflects Turkey’s commitment to addressing the Palestinian issue within the framework of law and justice. “The conscience of humanity and international law will hold Israeli officials accountable,” stated the ministry.
Turkey is now the seventh country to formally seek participation in the case at the UN’s highest court, following Colombia, Nicaragua, Spain, Libya, Palestine, and Mexico. According to Al Jazeera reporter Sinem Koseoglu in Istanbul, the Turkish request will strengthen the case against Israel. “When more parties are involved in such cases, the case becomes stronger against the perpetrator,” said Koseoglu.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, devastated large portions of the area, and brought over two million residents to the brink of famine. The South African case cites several statements from Israeli officials regarding punitive measures against Palestinian civilians, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The UN’s Genocide Convention defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group,” including killing and measures aimed at preventing births.
South Africa filed the case in January, asking the court for urgent measures to stop the killings of Palestinians while the case is under deliberation—a process that could take years. The ICJ responded by ordering Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, including stopping the killings of Palestinians and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians. However, the judges refrained from issuing a specific order to halt the Israeli offensive. In March, the court again ordered Israel to ensure that basic food supplies reach people in Gaza without delay, as famine conditions worsened in the area due to Israel’s blockade. Two months later, the ICJ ordered Israel to immediately “stop its military offensive” in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s displaced population sought refuge. The Israeli government ignored this ruling.
While ICJ rulings are binding, there is no established mechanism to enforce them. The UN Security Council can adopt resolutions to impose sanctions on parties violating the court’s decisions, but actions against Israel in the Security Council have often been blocked by the United States’ veto.
In a separate matter, the ICJ stated in an advisory opinion last month that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and must end “as soon as possible.” Turkey’s intervention in the genocide case comes amid an intensified war of words between Israel and Turkey over Israeli actions in Gaza. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Turkey might “intervene” in the conflict to aid the Palestinians, which provoked outrage among Israeli officials.
Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized Erdogan, accusing him of turning Turkey into a “dictatorship.” The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded earlier this week, stating that Katz has spread “lies” about Turkey and its president. “For some time now, this individual cannot be taken seriously,” said the ministry in a statement, adding that Ankara “will continue to support the Palestinians in the strongest possible manner.”