Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ireland welcomes the decision by the International Court of Justice to order provisional measures in the South Africa versus Israel case. The court’s order is significant, that Israel must ensure that its military does not commit actions prohibited under the Genocide Convention and takes immediate and effective measures to enable basic services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The court’s order is legally binding and final and Israel must urgently implement all provisional measures. We have also called for humanitarian access and the protection of civilians since the start of the conflict. It is important to point out that the court did not made any findings of genocide against Israel but did say that South Africa has a relevant case that can be considered. We are now taking a rigorous analysis of this matter. Our understanding from our initial legal advice is that the term “join” is not the correct one to use. We can make an intervention, either a section 62 intervention or a section 63 intervention and these are different matters but we cannot actually do so until South Africa has submitted its main case, or memorial, and it has told us it will not be doing that for three to four months.

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