MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Colombia has officially petitioned to join South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Friday.

On Thursday, Colombian Ambassador to Uruguay Juan Jose Quintana Aranguren told Sputnik that Bogota was calling on all states-signatories to the Convention to align themselves with South Africa‘s suit.

“Today, Colombia, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel),” the statement read.

In its declaration, Colombia said that the Genocide Convention was “a cardinal instrument of international law” and that its case against Israel raised “vital issues” concerning the interpretation and application of certain provisions of the convention, the ICJ said.