Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Wednesday expressed unwavering support for South Africa's lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which will kick off its hearings on Thursday.
"I extend my gratitude to South Africa and its government for taking this principled stance, placing ethics and human values above all considerations. The General Secretariat of the Arab League affirms its full support for South Africa's endeavor through all available means," Aboul-Gheit said in a statement quoted on the website of Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper.
In a post on X, Aboul-Gheit said, "It's natural and logical for the Arab League to fully support South Africa's lawsuit against Israel before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide. We look forward to a just and bold ruling that will stop this aggressive war and put an end to the shedding of Palestinian blood."
"We would have liked the League to be able to join the call, but as an organization, it is not among the parties authorized to do so," headed.
Aboul-Gheit has directed the Arab League’s General Secretariat to closely monitor the legal proceedings of the case, said Gamal Roushdy, the league’s spokesman.
The General Secretariat is prepared to offer any necessary support to serve the Palestinian cause and bolster the Palestinians’ position, he said in a statement.
The ICJ will begin two days of hearings on Thursday in South Africa’s lawsuit, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed South Africa's lawsuit shortly after it was filed, accusing Israel of “committing a genocide by its indiscriminate targeting of civilian population, killing and injuring tens of thousands of Palestinians.”
The South African government announced on Tuesday that its delegation will be joined by senior political figures “from progressive political parties and movements across the globe”, including former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak has been selected as the Israeli-appointed judge to sit on the panel of judges at the hearing.