Egypt to formally join South Africa's lawsuit against Israel in ICJ
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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DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania
Vilnius (AP/PTI): A DHL cargo plane crashed Monday morning near the Lithuanian capital.
The Lithuanian airport authority identified the aircraft as a “DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport.”
It posted on the social platform X that city services including a fire truck were on site.
DHL Group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, did not immediately return a call for comment.
