The proceedings have been instituted by South Africa against Israel and relate to alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention, of which both nations are signatories.

In their statement, Bolivia's Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores said:

"The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia values ​​the historic action undertaken by the Republic of South Africa which filed a lawsuit on December 29, 2023 against the State of Israel before the International Court of Justice, in relation to violations by of Israel to its Genocide Convention obligations to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Bolivia, committed to peace and justice, signatory of the Genocide Convention, recognises that South Africa took a historic step in the defence of the Palestinian people, a leadership and effort that should be accompanied by the international community that calls for respect for life (considering that the report prepared by the United Nations reports that more than 21,000 people have died since October 7, 2023, mostly children and women, reflecting the inhuman actions of the State of Israel).

It should be remembered that on November 17, Bolivia, together with South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros and Djibouti, presented a request to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the situation in the State of Palestine."

The hearings will take place at The Hague on 11 and 12 January and will determine whether Israel has acted under international law in its sustained siege of Gaza which has, so far, taken the lives of over 22,000 innocent women and children.