Ireland said that by intervening in South Africa's case against Israel over its actions in Gaza, Ireland will be asking the International Court of Justice to 'broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide'
Ireland will intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in an effort to broaden the definition of genocide.
Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said he had secured the cabinet's approval to intervene in the case against Israel, and said that the intervention would be filed later this month.
In a press release, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs said that "By legally intervening in South Africa's case, Ireland will be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide."
"We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized," the statement continued.
The government also approved Dublin's intervention in The Gambia's genocide case against Myanmar, according to the statement.
South Africa asked the ICJ in December for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel and its Western allies described the allegation as baseless, and a final ruling in the case could take years.
In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians.
Ireland said in March that it would intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, in a strong signal of Dublin's concern about Israeli operations in Gaza.
Announcing the move at the time, Martin said that while it was for the ICJ to decide whether genocide is being committed, he wanted to be clear that Hamas' October 7 attack and what is happening in Gaza now "represents the blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale."
"The taking of hostages. The purposeful withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians. The targeting of civilians and of civilian infrastructure. The indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas. The use of civilian objects for military purposes. The collective punishment of an entire population," Martin said in a statement.
"The list goes on. It has to stop. The view of the international community is clear. Enough is enough."
Martin did not say at the time what form the intervention would take or outline any argument Ireland plans to advance, but added that the step was decided following legal and policy analysis and consultation with several partners, including South Africa.
Martin's department said such third party interventions do not take a specific side in the dispute, but that the intervention would be an opportunity for Ireland to put forward its interpretation of one or more of the provisions of the Genocide Convention at issue in the case.
Ireland joined Spain, Norway, Malta, and Slovenia in March in taking the first steps toward recognizing Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza.