The government of Maldives has said it will formally join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement by the president’s office, the government of Maldives said the move comes due to “genocidal acts perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces under the guise of security concerns [which] have resulted in mass displacement, acute starvation, and blockage of humanitarian aid”.

The government also said that demands made by Israel for the immediate evacuation of thousands of Palestinian civilians seeking refuge in eastern Rafah “are a testament to its failure to adhere to the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ”.