The Maldives, Namibia and Pakistan have joined the list of countries expressing support for the genocide case filed against Israel by South Africa at the International Court of Justice.
The three countries each expressed their support for the case in speeches delivered during a UN General Assembly session on Tuesday.
South Africa filed the lawsuit end of December, accusing Israel of genocide in its war on Gaza and seeking a halt to the brutal military assault that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, nearly 10,000 of them children.
Namibia’s Ambassador Neville Gertze told the UN that his country “welcomes and supports” South Africa’s case. “Namibia both identifies and aligns with the arguments put forward by South Africa,” Gertze said.
Other countries that have already expressed support for the case include Bolivia, Jordan, Malaysia and Turkey.
The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), a 57-member bloc, voiced their support for the case on December 30.
The ICJ will hold hearings to consider provisional measures on Thursday and Friday this week.
Both Israel and South Africa are signatories to the United Nations Genocide Convention, which gives the ICJ – the highest UN legal body – jurisdiction to rule on disputes over the treaty.
