The Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its support for the lawsuit filed by South Africa before the International Court of Justice against Israel for genocide crimes in the Gaza Strip.

The Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the step taken by South Africa in this regard, in accordance with its commitment to the Genocide Convention, considering it a historic step in defending the rights of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, stressing the need to support this initiative from the international community.

The ministry pointed out that Bolivia, in partnership with South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros, and Djibouti, submitted a lawsuit on November 17 to the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation in the Palestinian territories.

Bolivia is the first country in Latin America to announce its support for South Africa's lawsuit.

The International Court of Justice said that it received a request from South Africa on December 29 to sue Israel on charges of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The lawsuit stated that Israel “conducted acts aimed at ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”

The court explained that South Africa had submitted a request to file a lawsuit against Israel for violating the Genocide Convention.

South Africa asked the court to indicate interim measures in order to protect Palestinians in Gaza “from any further serious and irreparable harm” under the convention, and to ensure “Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in, prevent and punish genocide.”

South Africa's move comes in the wake of the death of more than 23,000 citizens, most of them women and children, in the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since last October 7.