Brazil has announced its decision to join a legal case led by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The case was initially brought to the UN’s highest court by South Africa in December 2023. Brazil is now in the final stages of officially becoming part of this case.
Other countries, including Colombia, Libya, and Mexico, have already joined the case, which claims that Israel’s military actions in Gaza violate the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The case is based on accusations that Israel’s actions during its Gaza offensive have targeted civilians and caused extreme suffering.
The accusation centers on Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which have been ongoing since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli soil. In 2024, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocide during its military actions, including providing humanitarian aid to avoid a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Brazil’s government strongly condemned Israel’s use of “indiscriminate violence” against civilians and accused it of using hunger as a weapon of war. Brazil’s foreign ministry stated that the international community must not ignore what it called the “atrocities” happening in Gaza.
Under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, genocide is defined as any act committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has repeatedly criticized Israel for what he has called a “genocide” in Gaza, condemning the suffering of Palestinian civilians in the ongoing conflict.
Israel, however, has denied these accusations, particularly the claim of using starvation as a weapon. Over 100 humanitarian groups have raised alarms about a growing food crisis in Gaza, warning that mass starvation could be imminent.
The war in Gaza, which began after the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has resulted in severe destruction and loss of life. The international community is increasingly divided over Israel’s actions, with many calling for an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel faces mounting pressure from both governments and global organizations to address humanitarian concerns and end the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
