Brazil praises International Court's call for Israeli action in Gaza
Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to adopt additional measures to guarantee the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
"The Brazilian government welcomes the adoption, on March 28, by the International Court of Justice, of new precautionary measures, within the framework of the proceedings brought by South Africa against Israel, based on the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," the statement reads.
The ICJ, the main legal body of the United Nations (UN) for hearing complaints of crimes against countries, issued a decision last Thursday (Mar. 28) by a vote of 14 to 2. The decision demands that Israel take additional precautionary measures to prevent the deterioration of the lives of the Palestinian people.
In the statement released on Saturday (30), the ministry emphasized that the measures mandated by the ICJ are "binding," indicating that UN signatory countries have committed to honoring the Court's decisions.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "the Brazilian government hopes that [the measures] can result in urgent humanitarian relief for Gaza and in an environment of political dialogue that allows for a definitive ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages and the resumption of negotiations for a two-state solution."
The Brazilian government also highlighted that, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the famine in Gaza has claimed the lives of "at least 31 people, including 27 children, due to malnutrition and dehydration."
Initiative
On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the ICJ, accusing it of genocide. The action garnered support from several countries, including Brazil. Last Monday (25), Francesca Albanese, the UN rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, also accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.
A group of experts supported by the UN has warned that half of Gaza's population, approximately 1.1 million people, are at risk of "catastrophic famine" in the Palestinian enclave. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), acute malnutrition among children aged 6 to 23 months increased from 16.2 percent to 29.2 percent between January and February of this year.
The Tel Aviv government has denied the accusations, stating that South Africa and the UN special rapporteur have distorted the situation in the Palestinian enclave. They assert that Israel respects international humanitarian law and that the war is directed against Hamas, not the Palestinian people.
The latest figures indicate that 32,500 individuals have lost their lives, with another 75,000 wounded, following 175 days of war in the Gaza Strip. These numbers do not include the estimated 8,000 bodies believed to be buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombings.
