Opposition calls on Government to join South African case against Israel

It comes after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government does not intend to join the case, saying there is a need to “be very careful” in defining genocide.

Independent Senator Frances Black, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign vice chair Fatin Al Tamimi, Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman Matt Carthy, Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesman Gary Gannon and Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik at Buswells Hotel, Dublin. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA

The Government has been accused of “cowardice” as the main opposition parties called on Ireland to join South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

South Africa says the scale of the deaths and crisis from the Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza meets the threshold of genocide under international law.