Brazil will formally request to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, in a move likely to ratchet up international legal pressure on Tel Aviv over the Gaza conflict, Folha de Sao Paulo reported.

The Foreign Ministry is expected to announce the formal intervention on July 23, joining Spain, Turkey, and Colombia in supporting the case filed by South Africa in 2023. The case asks the ICJ to declare that Israel has breached its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its military operations against Hamas in Gaza.

According to diplomatic sources, Israel's repeated attacks on civilians, not only in Gaza but also in the occupied West Bank, served as "the last straw" in accelerating the Brazilian government's decision to formally endorse the action. The diplomat noted that Hamas, which attacked Israel in October 2023, does not operate in the West Bank, yet Palestinians there continue to face attacks from Israeli soldiers.

The decision comes amid mounting international concern over the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave. More than 100 humanitarian and human rights organisations issued a statement on July 22 calling for immediate government action against the spreading famine in Gaza, demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the suspension of all Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The joint statement, signed by 111 organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Refugees International, warned that "mass starvation" is spreading throughout the territory. The groups highlighted that tonnes of food, clean water, medical supplies, and other essential items remain untouched around Gaza's perimeter, as humanitarian organisations are prevented from accessing or delivering them.

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira had previously indicated Brazil's intentions during the BRICS summit opening earlier this month.

The case accuses Israel of displacing populations, indiscriminately attacking civilians in Gaza, and imposing starvation conditions on Palestinians in the territory. Israel maintains that it attempts to spare civilian lives wherever possible and justifies its operations by asserting that Hamas uses the population as human shields to protect its members. The country says it has the right to defend itself against the terrorist group.

Brazil's decision comes against a backdrop of escalating international diplomatic pressure on Israel. Last week in Bogotá, more than 30 countries participated in a meeting organised by The Hague Group – an eight-nation alliance committed to cutting military ties with Israel – which resulted in the strongest coordinated action yet against Israeli operations in Gaza. Two dozen countries agreed to impose an arms embargo and review public contracts with companies that could benefit from Israel's actions.

The Bogotá gathering, which drew delegations from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including officials from Palestine, represented a significant mobilisation of Global South sentiment. Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories recently sanctioned by the US over her criticism of Israel, told attendees that "the events in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide," adding that "this is not just a legal matter — it is a moral one."

Additionally, earlier this week, foreign ministers from 30 countries, including major European powers and close US allies, broke ranks with Washington, issuing a joint statement demanding an immediate end to the Gaza conflict. The signatories, including the UK, France, Italy, Canada, and Australia, condemned what they described as the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food."

The statement denounced that over 800 Palestinians have been killed whilst seeking aid, with the ministers declaring Israel's aid delivery model "dangerous" and calling it a violation of human dignity. The foreign ministers also condemned Hamas's continued detention of hostages taken on October 7, 2023, calling for their "immediate and unconditional release."

Significantly, the diplomatic coalition warned against any territorial changes in the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically condemning Israel's highly controversial “E1” settlement plan, which they argued would "divide a Palestinian state in two" and represent "a flagrant breach of international law." The ministers noted that settlement construction has accelerated across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, whilst settler violence against Palestinians has intensified.

The intervention by Brazil, Latin America's largest nation, adds considerable diplomatic weight to the ICJ proceedings at The Hague. The original case was filed by South Africa, whose government emerged from the apartheid regime and has drawn parallels between its historical experience and the current Palestinian situation.

The convergence of legal action at the ICJ and coordinated diplomatic pressure from dozens of nations represents one of the most significant international challenges facing the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its conduct in Gaza, reflecting deepening global concerns about the humanitarian crisis and long-term regional stability.