The far-left party in Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s coalition government on Thursday backed South Africa’s “genocide” case against Israel at the United Nations Supreme Court, calling it a “necessary step.”
South Africa has filed an urgent appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding that Israel “immediately cease” its military operations in Gaza.
In the first hearing at the UN Supreme Court on Thursday, Pretoria accused Israel of violating the UN Genocide Convention, saying even the deadly Hamas attack on October 7th was not the cause of such an alleged attack. He argued that his actions could not be justified.
“South Africa’s case against Israel is a necessary step to prevent genocide. It is urgent and necessary for the International Court of Justice to order preventive measures to achieve a permanent ceasefire,” the Smar party said. I wrote this on X (old Twitter).
Smar is a junior partner in Spain’s minority coalition government with the Socialist Party, led by Sánchez. The party’s leader, Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, is one of Sanchez’s three deputy prime ministers.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
In a separate message on X, Spanish Minister of Social Rights Pablo Bastinduy, also from Smar, called South Africa’s case “a historic action, courageous and necessary.”
Israel dismissed the incident as “brutal” and “absurd” and accused South Africa of becoming a “legal arm” for Hamas militants.
The conflict in Gaza erupted when Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive that left around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, dead in Israel, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
Israel responded with a relentless military campaign that killed at least 23,469 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry.
mg/ds/pvh