Cairo: Egypt announced on Sunday its intention to formally join South Africa's lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement citing the escalating Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians as the reason behind its decision to join the lawsuit.
Alon Liel, Israel's former foreign minister, described Cairo's sudden move as an "unbelievable diplomatic blow to Israel."
South Africa initially filed a lawsuit in January, requesting the ICJ to declare Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and to order Israel to halt its military campaign in the region. Instead, the court issued a general order for Israel to ensure the prevention of acts of genocide.
The recent announcement from Egypt follows Israel's controversial entry into eastern areas of Rafah, bordering Egypt, where it seized control of the nearby crossing—a vital conduit for aid into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel's attacks against Palestinian civilians and highlighted the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, pushing Palestinians to flee.
In March, ICJ judges unanimously ordered Israel to ensure the timely arrival of basic food supplies and aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Egypt had previously joined the request for an advisory opinion from the ICJ on the legality of Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.
Egypt emphasized the importance of Israel complying with its obligations as the occupying power and implementing the provisional measures issued by the ICJ to ensure access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
Furthermore, Egypt urged the UN Security Council and international stakeholders to take immediate action to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, halt military operations in Rafah, and provide necessary protection for Palestinian civilians.
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Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024