• Turkey to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel.
• Turkey, a staunch critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, will join the growing list of nations seeking to participate.
• The court is expected to take years to reach a final decision.

A Turkish official announced that Turkey will file a request on Wednesday with a United Nations court to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel. The declaration of intervention will be submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the official stated on the condition of anonymity.

Turkey, a staunch critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, will join the growing list of nations seeking to participate in the case. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has frequently compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, accused Israel of genocide, called for international punishment, and criticized Western nations for supporting Israel.

In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza. Unlike Western nations that label Hamas as a terrorist organization, Erdogan has praised the group, referring to it as a liberation movement.

South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza.

Israel has strongly rejected the accusations of genocide, arguing that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defensive action against Hamas’s militants. This response follows Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.

Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain, and Palestinian officials have sought to join the case. The court has yet to decide on their requests. If admitted, these countries would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings.

Preliminary hearings in the genocide case against Israel have already taken place, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision. Since Erdogan took power in 2003, former allies Turkey and Israel have experienced a turbulent relationship, with periods of severe friction and reconciliation. The conflict in Gaza has disrupted the latest attempts to normalize ties.

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