Brazil confirms adherence to the process in The Hague against genocide by Israel

The Brazilian government confirmed on Wednesday (23) its formal adherence to the action filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (CIJ), which accuses Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The decision, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is in the “final phase of formal intervention submission in the process”, but already represents the legal and political endorsement of Brazil to the allegations brought to the Court by South African diplomacy in January 2024.

The basis of Brazilian adhesion is the Convention for the Prevention and Repression of Genocide Crime, signed after World War II within the United Nations.

Itamaraty states that there is plausibility that “the rights of the Palestinians of protection against genocide acts are being irreversibly harmed,” as already recognized by the CIJ itself in precautionary measures approved last year.

Brazil’s entry into action expands the political weight of the South African initiative, which since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Gaza in October 2023 mobilizes international governments and jurists.

This is the first time that the country has formally intervened in a multilateral judicial process against Israel, assuming a critical position to the systematic violations reported by international organizations.

Systematic Violence and International Impunity

In the official statement, the Brazilian government expresses “profound indignation” in the face of repeated attacks against Palestinian civilians, both in the Gaza and West Bank.

The note denounces the use of destructive weaponry, bombing to residential areas and refugee camps, as well as massacres during the distribution of humanitarian aid. For Itamaraty, the international community can no longer remain inert: “There is no room for moral ambiguity or political omission.

Impunity undermines international legality and compromises the credibility of the multilateral system. ”

Brazil’s complaints go beyond military operations. The country accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war, preventing the access of humanitarian organizations, attacking UN facilities, and destroying religious sites, such as the Catholic Parish in Gaza.

The violence of extremist settlers in the West Bank is also cited, including the fire to the ruins of the former Church of St. George and the Byzantine Cemetery in Taybeh.

A diplomat heard by the Brazilian press stated that the attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank – where Hamas does not act – were the “drop of water” for the decision to adhere. The realization that violence goes beyond direct armed conflict with Hamas weakens, according to the government, the Israeli justification of self -defense.

Hunger in gaza and international pressure for ceasefire

The Brazilian decision was also influenced by humanitarian deterioration in Gaza. On the eve of the announcement, 111 Humanitarian and Human Rights Organizations-including doctors without borders, Norwegian Council for International Refugees and Refugees-released a joint statement requiring immediate ceasefire and the end of Israeli’s restrictions on humanitarian aid entry.

The entities warned of the spread of “mass hunger” in the Gaza Strip, even with tons of food and supplies retained around the territory, without access to surrounded populations.

The complaint reinforces the accusation that Israel deliberately uses food deprivation as an instrument of war – a practice prohibited by international humanitarian law.

Brazil has incorporated this argument into its official note and stressed that Israel’s accountability is essential to ensure that multilateral mechanisms are not demoralized in the face of repeated war crimes. Hunger, according to the government, has gone from a humanitarian risk to a deliberate extermination policy.

Brazil’s adhesion to South Africa had already been anticipated by Chancellor Mauro Vieira during the BRICS summit. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Vieira said that “the last developments of war made us make the decision to join South Africa in the International Court” and that “soon would have good news.”

Brazilian participation strengthens the articulation of BRICS in defense of the multilateral order and against the use of two weights and two measures in the judgment of international crimes. With the initiative, Brazil is positioned alongside countries that require Israel’s liability for violations in Gaza, rejecting the hegemonic narrative of impunity supported by Western allies.