Brazil has said it is in the “final stages” of formally joining South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The government announced its formal intervention on Wednesday, citing “massacres of civilians, most of them women and children, which have become commonplace during the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza”.
In a statement, Brazil’s foreign ministry expressed “deep indignation” at “recurring episodes of violence” perpetrated by Israel against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and the “shameless use of starvation as a weapon of war”.
It said the international community “cannot remain inactive” in the face of “ongoing atrocities”, and that the move is based on the “plausibility that the rights of Palestinians to protection against acts of genocide are being irreversibly impaired”.
“Brazil believes there is no longer room for moral ambiguity or political omission. Impunity undermines international legality and undermines the credibility of the multilateral system,” the statement read.
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The lawsuit, which was initially filed by South Africa in December 2023, accuses Israel of committing “genocidal acts” against Palestinians in Gaza.
In an 84-page submission to the ICJ, Pretoria alleged Israel was in breach of its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Other countries, including Spain, Turkey and the Republic of Ireland, have also sought to intervene in the case.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emerged as an increasingly vocal critic of Israel, repeatedly condemning its actions in Gaza as a genocide.
The country was one of more than 30 states that attended an “emergency summit” in the Colombian capital Bogota last week. It was organised by The Hague Group, and participants agreed to implement six measures to stop Israel’s onslaught on Gaza and prevent violations of international law.
However, campaigners have pointed to Brazil’s crude oil exports to Israel – 2.7m barrels were shipped in 2024 alone – prompting calls from Brazilian oil worker unions for the government to implement an energy embargo against Israel.
Brazil’s formal intervention in the case comes as Gaza’s hospitals recorded over 115 deaths related to “famine and malnutrition” as Israel’s blockade continues to choke the flow of food, clean water and medicine into the enclave.
Authorities warn the death toll could rise, with aid access still severely restricted and entire families reportedly going days without food.
In response to Brazil’s announcement, the Israeli embassy said the South American country did not “fully portray the reality of what is currently happening in Gaza” and “completely ignored” the role of Hamas.
