Ireland is to ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to broaden its definition of genocide – claiming Israel has engaged in the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza.
An intervention will be made later this month, deputy prime minister Micheal Martin said, and will be linked to a case South Africa has brought under the United Nations’ Genocide Convention.
Mr Martin said the Irish government is “concerned” that a “narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide” leads to a “culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimised”.
The Dublin administration’s “view of the convention is broader” and “prioritises the protection of civilian life”, he added.
Mr Martin, who also serves as Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs, claimed there had been “collective punishment of the Palestinian people through the intent and impact of military actions of Israel in Gaza”.
Some 44,000 people have died, he added (figures from Hamas) and “millions of civilians” have been displaced.
Mr Martin continued: “By legally intervening in South Africa’s case, Ireland will be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide by a state.”
The Dublin government has also approved an intervention in The Gambia’s case against Myanmar under the same convention.
“Intervening in both cases demonstrates the consistency of Ireland’s approach to the interpretation and application of the Genocide Convention,” Mr Martin said.
Under the convention, genocide refers to acts committed with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
It can include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and inflicting conditions that bring about its physical destruction.
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Israel rejects Amnesty’s genocide claim
In May, Israel’s deputy attorney general told a panel of 15 international judges that South Africa’s allegations of genocide are “completely divorced from the facts and circumstances”.
“Armed conflict is not a synonym of genocide,” Gilad Noam said.
The accusation “makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide”, he added.
Israel has often stated that it warns civilians when it is about to target Hamas fighters.
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Amnesty International has also accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians during its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The human rights group claimed Israel sought deliberately to destroy Palestinians by launching deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid.
Israel’s foreign ministry described Amnesty as a “deplorable and fanatical organisation” which had produced a “fabricated report” that was “entirely false and based on lies”.
Stephen Bowen, executive director of Amnesty Ireland, said the Irish government’s intervention offered a “glimmer of hope”.
He added: “Those like Ireland who have called for a ceasefire must join with other like-minded states to create this common platform to end the genocide.
“They must be resolute; they must be relentless; they must be loud, clear, visible. This is genocide. This must stop.”
David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, has told Sky News that Amnesty’s claim of genocide against Israel is “a classic example of antisemitism” and “Holocaust inversion”.
