The Netherlands and Iceland have joined a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The court announced the move on Thursday.
In its declaration of intervention, the Netherlands said that forced displacement, starvation, denial of aid, and acts committed against children may be considered acts of genocide. It added that such actions “may play an important role in determining the intent to commit genocide”.
The two countries are parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which allows states to intervene in cases before the court when questions arise concerning a treaty to which they are signatories.
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In its statement, the Netherlands said acts committed against children should be assessed differently, noting that crimes directed at children could be highly significant in proving genocidal intent.
Iceland, in its own submission, argued that determining genocidal intent should not be limited to cases where genocide is the only possible conclusion from the acts committed.
According to Iceland, the existence of other possible motives alongside genocidal intent should not prevent the court from concluding that genocide may have occurred.
In December 2023, South Africa filed a case at ICJ, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide. Several countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, the Maldives, Ireland, Brazil, and Belgium, had already stepped in to intervene.
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