Spain says it will join the case filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its war on the Gaza Strip.

Making the announcement on Thursday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, “We made this decision in light of the continuation of the military operation in Gaza.”

South Africa brought the case before the International Court of Justice last year. It alleges that Israel’s Gaza offensive, launched in retaliation for an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Israel has strongly denied the accusation.

Albares, asked if he felt Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide, said it was up to the court to decide.

“At the moment we see a large-scale war that does not distinguish between civilian and military targets in Gaza, as well as the enormous risk of regional spillover,” he added.

Several Latin American nations, including Colombia and Mexico, have already joined South Africa’s proceedings before the court.

Until now, however, no European country has taken that step. Ireland has also indicated it plans to join the case.