Chile to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel

On Saturday, the Chilean parliament votes to join the International Court of Justice case against Israel. Photo: Cristobal Venegas/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Gabriel Borich, Chile's President said his country joins South Africa in its case at the International Court accusing Israel of «genocide» in its war against Hamas.

< p>Speaking to the National Congress on Saturday, Mr Boric — a left-wing student protester turned politician — condemned the «catastrophic humanitarian situation» in the Gaza Strip and called for a «firm response from the international community.»

«Chile will become a party and will support the idea that South Africa has brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague,” Borich said.

The international court is hearing the South African case, but in the meantime has taken “preliminary measures” ordering Israel do it. do everything possible to prevent acts of genocide during the campaign against Hamas.

Last month, the court ordered Israel to cease military operations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge from an Israeli military offensive. .

Rafah offensive

Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said that up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.

One million have since fled the area, About this the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said. Chile has recognized Palestine as a state since 2011.

The war in Gaza was sparked by an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official Israeli data. .

The militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 dead, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The Israeli retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip resulted in deaths more than 36,000 people. According to the Ministry of Health of the territory controlled by Hamas, mostly civilians.