Belfast, Ireland

The Irish government has decided to intervene in the court case at the International Court of Justice against Israel on grounds of the commission of genocide. The complaint had been brought by South Africa, and the court found the charge of genocide plausible on January 26. It issued a preliminary injunction, ordering Israel to cease actions that might constitute genocide, which the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has defied. Ireland's intervention seems to be akin to an amicus brief in the South African complaint, which will be decided by the ICJ, writes Informed Comment. The Irish cabinet will begin to frame a Declaration of Intervention to be submitted after South Africa sends in its own memorial case in a few months.

Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said on March 28 of Israel's refusal to allow sufficient food into Gaza: "It is criminal. It is absolutely a scandal that children are malnourished, that half a population is facing famine and others in terms of food insecurity. There is no need for this. There's excessive checking at the borders. I spoke [on Thursday] morning to Ayman Safadi, the Foreign Minister in Jordan, spoke to Egyptian [Foreign Minister] Sameh Shoukry and I spoke to the Palestinian Prime Minister [on Wednesday] also. They're telling me the situation is dire. Absolutely catastrophic. I will appeal to Israel to show humanity in terms of enabling the essentials of life to get into Gaza for the civilian population."

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