South Africa remains committed to peaceful resolution to ending occupation of Palestine: President

By Hassan Isilow

On the first anniversary of the war in Gaza, South Africa on Monday said it remains committed to the peaceful resolution to ending the occupation of Palestine, to upholding the tenets of international law and to advancing social justice.

“As a country we will continue to play our part in supporting all efforts to bring peace to the troubled Middle East region and to secure a just, lasting solution that ends the occupation of Palestine,” President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly newsletter.

Ramaphosa also retaliated his country’s call for an immediate ceasefire that would end the suffering of the people of Gaza and allow for humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

“Beyond an immediate end to the onslaught against Gaza, there is an urgent need for action to stave off starvation and disease among the population,” he said.

The South African president also said considerable resources need to be directed to Gaza to start rebuilding infrastructure, housing, social services, agricultural production and economic activity.

Last month, in an address to the UN General Assembly, South Africa called for international law to be applied consistently in holding to account all who have committed atrocities in the conflict, whether it is Israel or Hamas.

Ramaphosa also expressed grave concern about the escalating situation in the Middle East involving Israel, Lebanon and Iran, saying it threatens to plunge the region into a war in which civilians will “inevitably bear the greatest and the most cruel brunt of this conflict.”

He said his country will file later this month a memorial to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to provide facts and evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine.

“We call on Israel to immediately implement the court’s provisional orders issued on 26 January, 28 March 2024 and 24 May 2024,” the president said.

South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice in late 2023, accusing Israel, which has bombed Gaza since last October, of failing to uphold its commitments under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The court in May ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It was the third time the 15-judge panel issued preliminary orders seeking to rein in the death toll and alleviate humanitarian suffering in the blockaded enclave, where the casualty count has neared 42,000.

Several countries have joined the case which began public hearings in January. They include Türkiye, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya, and Colombia.

Ramaphosa also said until the occupation of Palestine is ended and a just and lasting solution is found that will protect the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians, the region will remain a “tinderbox of potential conflict and war.”