UPDATE- Ireland to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel

ADDS DETAILS FROM OFFICIAL STATEMENT

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin announced Wednesday that Ireland will intervene in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice.

Martin directed officials to start work on a Declaration of Intervention under Article 63 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, following an analysis of the legal and policy issues arising in the case.

"As I said in the Dáil (lower house of parliament) last month, intervention as a third party in a case before the International Court of Justice is a complex matter and is relatively rare. Since 1948, only four other interstate cases have been initiated under the Genocide Convention before the International Court of Justice," Martin said in a statement.

"Ireland intervened in one of these - the Ukraine v Russia case – and, after a rigorous and comprehensive process of analysis and consultation over the last six weeks, we have determined that we will do so again in the South Africa v Israel case," he said.

While acknowledging that it is up to the Court to determine if genocide is being committed, the Tánaiste, or foreign minister, reiterated the international community's stance on the matter, emphasizing the urgent need for action to halt the ongoing violations.

The Declaration of Intervention, pending government approval, will be filed once South Africa submits its Memorial -- a process expected to take months.

- 'Situation could not be more stark'

The Tánaiste, or foreign minister, emphasized the gravity of the situation.

"The situation could not be more stark; half the population of Gaza face imminent famine and 100% of the population face acute food insecurity," said Martin.

Ireland intends to closely coordinate its intervention with other partners who have also expressed their intention to intervene.

In a landmark ruling in January, the ICJ directed Israel to "take all measures within its power" to prevent acts falling under the purview of Article Two of the Genocide Convention -- crimes intended to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

More than 32,200 Palestinians have been killed and over 74,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched a brutal offensive against the enclave after the Palestinian resistance group attacked southern Israel in October, which killed less than 1,150 people.

International organizations, including UN agencies, have demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and increased humanitarian aid access to address the medical shortages, hunger, thirst, and hygiene deficiencies leading to diseases in Gaza.

The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees said March 10 that "hunger is everywhere" in Gaza.

According to the latest data from Gaza's Health Ministry, 27 people have died from malnutrition and dehydration in the Gaza Strip due to Israel's blockade, which has caused a massive "humanitarian disaster."

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.