Chile joins South African case against Israel at top UN court

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Saturday that his country was joining South Africa in its case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of "genocide" in its war on Gaza.

Speaking to the National Congress, Boric decried the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza and called for "a firm response from the international community."

"Chile will become a party to and support the case that South Africa presented against Israel before the International Court of Justice in The Hague," Boric said.

The ICJ is considering South Africa's case, but in the interim has brought in "preliminary measures" ordering Israel do everything it could to prevent acts of genocide during its war on the enclave.

The top UN court last month ordered Israel to halt military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where displaced Palestinians are seeking safety from Israel's military offensive.

Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.

Since then, one million have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.

Chile has recognised Palestine as a state since 2011, and Boric has previously said the war in Gaza has "no justification" and is "unacceptable."

Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 36,379 people - 70 percent of whom were women and children.