Belize Moves to Join ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel

Belize has officially filed to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the court announced on Friday. With this declaration, Belize aligns itself with Türkiye, Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, and Spain in supporting the case.

“On 30 January 2025, Belize, referring to Articles 62 and 63 of the Statute, filed in the Registry of the Court a document containing an application for permission to intervene and a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip,” the ICJ stated.

The case, initially brought by South Africa in December 2023, accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza. Since then, multiple nations have joined in support of the legal proceedings.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 47,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, with over 111,000 others injured. Additionally, more than 11,000 people remain missing amid the devastation, which has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.