India must support South Africa's case against Israel in ICJ: CPM

India must support South Africa's genocide convention case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said on Thursday.

In a post on X, the CPI(M) said: "This barbarity must stop now! India prides itself as a leader of BRICS grouping -- the Narendra Modi govt must join the global outcry to pressurise Israel to declare immediate ceasefire."

"India must unequivocally support South Africa's Genocide Convention case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and join the global outcry to pressurise Israel to declare immediate ceasefire," they said.

South Africa approached the ICJ last week for an urgent order declaring that Israel is in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The Hague-based ICJ is the United Nations' forum for resolving disputes between countries.

A two-day hearing on the case to decide whether the ICJ will order "provisional measures" started on Thursday.

South Africa is seeking binding preliminary orders to compel Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, in which more than 23,000 people have been killed, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.