At the ICJ, Spain proposes to join South Africa’s

Spain genocide case against Israel.

Spain said it will join the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of breaking its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its war on the Gaza Strip.

Making the statement on Thursday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, “We made this decision in light of the continuation of the military operation in Gaza.”

“We also observe with enormous concern the regional extension of the conflict,” he added in a news conference.

Spain took the choice to not only “let peace return to Gaza and the Middle East” but also because of its commitment to international law, Albares said.

South Africa brought its complaint against Israel in January, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October, has topped 36,500, according to health officials in the besieged and bombed region.

Israel launched the assault after the Palestinian group Hamas led an offensive on southern Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,140 Palestinians, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli numbers.

It will likely take years before the ICJ will rule on the merits of the genocide case. While its verdicts are binding and cannot be appealed, the court has no way to enforce them.

Israel has frequently stated it is working in conformity with international law in Gaza. It has branded the genocide prosecution false and accused South Africa of acting as “the legal arm of Hamas”.