South Africa welcomes humanitarian pause in Gaza, calls for long term, enduring peace

By Hassan Isilow

South Africa on Wednesday welcomed humanitarian pause in Gaza, but called for more efforts in seeking a long-term and enduring peace in the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.

“This pause, which regrettably implies a possible resumption of conflict at some point, must be accompanied by tireless efforts to secure a durable political resolution of the decades-long challenge in the Middle East,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.

The South African leader said he hopes the humanitarian pause will strengthen efforts to achieve an outright end to the current conflict.

“The people of Palestine, Israel and the nations of the region must work together with the international community to entrench the rights, peace and sustainable development of the Palestinian people as part of the multilaterally endorsed two-state solution,” he said.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress Party (ANC) has been a longtime ally of the Palestinian cause.

Lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of a motion to close the Israeli Embassy in the capital Pretoria and suspend diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

Under the Israel-Hamas agreement, 50 Israelis held by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

The deal also includes a four-day pause in fighting and the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Gaza Strip.

Israel estimates that at least 239 Israelis are being held by Hamas following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack, killing more than 14,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.