Spain Joins South Africa's Case Against Israel at ICJ

Spain has announced its decision to join South Africa's legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This move is in response to Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that Spain's goal in joining the lawsuit is to end the ongoing conflict and advance the two-state solution.

This announcement comes a week after Spain, alongside Ireland and Norway, officially recognized the State of Palestine.

This recognition has provoked a strong reaction from Israel, which has requested that the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem cease providing consular services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank starting June 1.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz described this as a punitive measure. However, Spain has rejected any restrictions Israel intends to impose on its consular activities in Jerusalem.

Recently, UN experts have called on the international community to follow the lead of the 146 countries that have recognized the State of Palestine and to use all available resources to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

With Spain, Ireland, and Norway's recognition, 145 out of 193 UN member states have now acknowledged Palestine as a state.

Notably absent from this list are most Western European countries, North America, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.