Chile has formally intervened in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Chile’s intervention, filed under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, highlights its vested interest in the interpretation of the Genocide Convention within the context of this case. Under Article 63, any state party to a convention under judicial review has the right to intervene, and the ICJ’s interpretation of the convention becomes binding for all intervening parties.
In its declaration, Chile stressed the significance of how critical articles within the Genocide Convention are interpreted, given the serious allegations surrounding the conflict in Gaza.
Chile’s involvement reflects its concern over the legal ramifications of these interpretations, as the conflict escalates.
Both Israel and South Africa have been invited by the ICJ to submit written responses to Chile’s intervention. The Court’s eventual judgment will not only apply to the original disputing parties but will also be binding on Chile, in line with the ICJ’s intervention rules.
South Africa filed its case against Israel on 29 December 2023, accusing the state of violating the Genocide Convention in its actions against Palestinians in Gaza. Since then, several countries, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, and Turkiye, have joined the case.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack in October last year.
According to local health officials, the conflict has resulted in over 41,100 deaths, primarily among women and children, and more than 95,100 injuries. The Israeli blockade has also displaced almost the entire population of Gaza, causing severe shortages of essential supplies such as food, clean water, and medicine.