From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 13, 2026
US sides with Israel in Gaza genocide case at top UN court
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The United States will defend its ally Israel against accusations at the top United Nations court that it breached the Genocide Convention during its Gaza campaign, the court says.
Washington filed a so-called “declaration of intervention” at the International Court of Justice, which is examining the genocide case against Israel brought by South Africa.
“The United States affirms, in the strongest terms possible, that the allegations of ‘genocide’ against Israel are false,” says Washington in its filing.
The US says South Africa’s case is the latest in a series “to level false charges of ‘genocide’ against Israel” that it said had been going on for decades.
Such charges serve to “delegitimize the State of Israel and the Jewish people and to justify or encourage terrorism against them,” Washington says.
South Africa brought its case before the ICJ in December 2023, arguing the Gaza war breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, an accusation Israel has strongly denied.
More than a dozen countries have since applied to join the case, meaning they will present their views in court when it is heard — a process that could yet take years.
Many have voiced their intention to argue on the side of South Africa, paving the way for a wide-ranging showdown in the Peace Palace, where the court sits.
The Times of Israel Community.