Egypt declared on Sunday its intention to intervene in support of South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, citing concerns over the escalating scale of Israeli operations in Gaza and their impact on civilians.
The move underscores growing tensions between Egypt and Israel, particularly as the Israeli operation in the border town of Rafah strains longstanding agreements and security cooperation between the two neighbors.
In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry emphasized the need for intervention due to the expanding scope and severity of Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza. However, the specifics of Egypt’s intervention were not disclosed, although the country has previously presented arguments in the case.
South Africa initiated the case on Friday, seeking emergency measures from the court to compel Israel to withdraw from Rafah as part of ongoing legal proceedings accusing Israel of genocide.
According to Egyptian security sources, Egyptian officials conveyed to Israel their attributions of strained bilateral relations and the collapse of ceasefire talks delegations involving Hamas, Israel, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar in Cairo.
Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, welcomed Egypt’s move to join the lawsuit filed by South Africa, expressing appreciation in a statement.
Addressing questions about the 1979 treaty between Egypt and Israel amid the Rafah operation, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized the treaty’s necessity for security and asserted that it contains mechanisms to address any violations, without elaborating further.
