MADRID: Spain said on Thursday it would join South Africa’s case at the UN’s top court in which Pretoria has accused Israel of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

His statement came a week after Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, recognised the state of Palestine, sparking fury from Israel.

“Our sole goal is to put an end to the war and to advance on the road of applying the two-state solution”, Foreign Minis­ter Jose Manuel Albares told journalists.

Albares, asked if he felt Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide, said it was up to the court to decide. “At the moment we see a large-scale war that does not distinguish between civilian and military targets in Gaza, as well as the enormous risk of regional spillover,” he added.

Several Latin American nations, including Colombia and Mexico, have already joined South Africa’s proceedings before the court.

Until now, however, no European country has taken that step. Ireland has also indicated it plans to join the case.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024