Maldives seeks to join South African genocide case against Israel
Maldives on Tuesday said it has officially filed a declaration of intervention in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join the genocide case against Israel for committing massacres in the Gaza Strip. This intervention follows a series of similar declarations filed by other states, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, Türkiye, and Chile.
The Maldives, a party to the Genocide Convention, seeks to contribute to the interpretation of specific provisions of the convention related to the incitement of genocide.
“The Maldives, pursuant to the Article 63 of the CIJ_IC Statute, filed the declaration of intervention to the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa vs. Israel)," Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu said in a post on X.
“Israel must be held accountable for its unlawful acts in Gaza. The rule of law must be upheld, and Israel must cease its genocidal acts against the Palestinian people," he added.
The Maldives, he went on to say, will always side with “humanity, peace and justice, and in doing so, we will continue to stand with the Palestinian people.”
On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed an Application instituting proceedings against Israel concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
