Tunisia to present verbal claims on Israel at world court, but no official role due to recognition concerns

By Maroua Sahli

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia will present verbal claims on Israel at The Hague starting Wednesday, but will not formally participate in the case, as that could indirectly imply recognition of Israel, it said.

Tunisia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it will not take part in any case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as that could be considered indirect recognition of Israel.

The statement said a request was made on Dec. 14 to include Tunisia in the list of countries presenting verbal claims to the ICJ.

South Africa filed the lawsuit on Dec. 29, claiming that Israel violated the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide with its actions in Gaza since Oct. 7, requesting an injunction.

Hearings in the case are set to take place at The Hague starting Thursday.

Türkiye, Bolivia, and Malaysia have already signaled support for the case.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world’s second-largest multinational bloc, also welcomed the lawsuit filed by South Africa.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, killing at least 23,210 Palestinians, and injuring 59,167 others, mostly women and children, according to health authorities.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul