Spain announced Thursday it would join the lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, becoming the first European nation to officially back the case.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said his country would officially add itself to the list of petitioners in the case that alleges genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The lawsuit – initially filed by South Africa – has received backing from countries such as Chile, Mexico, and Turkey.

The move continues Spain's recent hardline stance toward Israel under the governance of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In late may, Spain – as well as Ireland and Norway – recognized a Palestinian state, although ironically, its diplomats have refused to work from Ramallah due to concerns over lifestyle and safety.

Analysts view the decision as driven by Sánchez's need to maintain his minority government's alliance with the far-left Unidas Podemos party, which holds extremely critical views of Israel.

"Sánchez is taking an extremely hardline position toward Israel as part of his political survival efforts due to his dependence on Unidas Podemos," Henrique Zimmerman, an international affairs analyst at Reichman University, said.

Zimmerman noted that Unidas Podemos leader and Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz is a proponent of the anti-Israel boycott movement BDS, advocating for cutting all ties with the Jewish state.

While largely symbolic given the ICC's limited jurisdiction over non-member states like Israel, the lawsuit process could take years to wind through the judicial system in The Hague.

Israel rejects the "genocide" allegations, asserting its military actions in Gaza are defensive measures against Hamas and other terror groups threatening Israeli civilians.

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"One year after the Trump administration carried out its provocative and illegal action, the State of Palestine continues to seek justice and accountability through the tools and mechanisms available to law-abiding and respecting states within the international system," PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki said in a statement published by Wafa news outlet.

Vowing to continue the battle against "illegal acts of aggression," the Ramallah-based administration promised not to "surrender to political bullying and extortion.

In September, when the PA initially filed the suit, it asked the ICJ judges "to order the United States of America to withdraw the diplomatic mission from the Holy City of Jerusalem."

The PA has boycotted the Trump administration since it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017.

Ties have since deteriorated, with the U.S. slashing hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians in an attempt to force it to renounce support for terrorism and resume negotiations for a peace agreement.

The U.S. efforts have been to little avail. The PA is calling the long-awaited U.S. peace plan "dead on arrival," and say it falsely assumes that money will compensate for the "inalienable rights" of the Palestinian people.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.

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