Ireland to formally intervene in proceedings at the ICJ over Israel and Myanmar

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin announced earlier that he has secured Government approval for Ireland to intervene in two cases currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), at the Cabinet's first meeting since the General Election.

The first of the cases is South Africa’s proceedings against Israel under the Genocide Convention. The case was initiated following the launch of military operations in Gaza after the 7 October 2023 attack.

“There has been a collective punishment of the Palestinian people through the intent and impact of military actions of Israel in Gaza, leaving 44,000 dead and millions of civilians displaced,” Martin said in a statement.

He added that Ireland would be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constituted the commission of genocide by a State.

“We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimised,” he continued. “Ireland’s view of the convention is broader and prioritises the protection of civilian life – as a committed supporter of the convention, the Government will promote that interpretation in its intervention in this case”.

The second case is that of The Gambia against Myanmar. Ireland will intervene in The Gambia’s case at the ICJ under the 1948 Genocide Convention over operations by Myanmar’s armed forces against the ethnic minority Rohingya people. The case was brought forward by The Republic of The Gambia in 2019.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said that a decision today at Cabinet would enable the Government to formally make a submission to the ICJ.

Speaking about government formation, the Tánaiste said the deputy leaders met last evening, including members from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and had "a good, positive engagement, mapping out the structure of the talks, talking [about] each departmental area, each area of policy, and I would hope they can get substantive work done before Christmas”.

When asked whether a government would be formed before the upcoming Trump presidency in the US, he acknowledged that there was a sense of urgency to form a government following the General Election. He also stated that when the Dáil reconvenes in the New Year, it will be prepared for the election of a Taoiseach.