President Cyril Ramaphosa called for peace and justice for the people of Palestine as Monday marks the first anniversary since the war started.
The attacks on the Palestinian people have claimed more than 43,000 lives.
“The violence that has been committed by Israel against Palestinians over many decades intensified after an attack on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7 last year. As South Africa, we have condemned the atrocities committed against civilians in Israel on October 7, 2023, as we have denounced the killing of civilians in any context,” Ramaphosa said.
The majority of those killed over the past year are Palestinian civilians, largely women and children along the Gaza Strip.
Ramaphosa said it is alarming that more Palestinians are also being killed in the West Bank due to Israeli Defence Force military activities.
Since last year, more than 1,000 Israelis were killed. He said over 100 Israelis remain in captivity in Gaza, and over 6,000 Palestinians are being detained in Israeli prisons.
“As South Africa, we have consistently called for a resolution to the conflict and the release of all the hostages abducted on October 7, 2023. We have also called for the release of all the prisoners unlawfully detained in Israel. We cannot but be moved by the plight of all the families who have loved ones in captivity. With negotiations to secure their release having once again stalled and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continuing, the conflict shows no signs of abating,” Ramaphosa said.
Amid efforts by the international community to secure a ceasefire, Ramaphosa said the situation has been worsened by strikes by Israel on Lebanon and by Iran on Israel. The Israelis have vowed to retaliate against Iran and Iran has threatened to respond accordingly.
“The escalating situation in the Middle East is of grave concern. 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. As the UN Secretary-General has said, each escalation after the next is leading the people of the Middle East over the cliff. As South Africa, we remain committed to a peaceful resolution to ending the occupation of Palestine, upholding the tenets of international law, and advancing social justice,” Ramaphosa said.
He reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire that will 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. Considerable resources need to be directed to Gaza to start rebuilding infrastructure, housing, social services, agricultural production, and economic activity.
“In our address to the UN General Assembly last month, we called for international law to be applied consistently in holding to account all who have committed atrocities in this conflict, whether it is Israel or Hamas,” Ramaphosa said.
Later this month, Ramaphosa said a memorial will be filed, which is South Africa’s full substantive case based on evidence at the International Court of Justice
“The memorial contains detailed 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 January 26, March 28, and May 24, 2024. The reality is that this latest escalation is part of a pattern of violence that spans more than half a century resulting from the occupation of Palestine. Until the occupation 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,” Ramaphosa said.
Israel has consistently declared that it aspires to live in peace and security with its neighbours. Yet, its military occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and its invasions of Lebanon in 1978, 1982, and 2006 undermine this aspiration, Ramaphosa said.
“Israel’s most recent attacks on Lebanon have resulted in more than 2,000 deaths. Even as Israel claims it is using ‘targeted strikes’ against the Hezbollah armed group, civilians are bearing the greatest cost, as they have been in Gaza. A protracted regional conflict that leads to the loss of more innocent lives is something the Middle East and the world cannot afford. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and for the tenets of international law to be respected,” Ramaphosa said.
He called on the countries of the world to work together to ensure the conflict does not spread, and further called on the international community to continue its efforts to end the violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“As we did in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, we once again call on South Africans to continue to advocate for justice and peace. At the same, we must continue to oppose all forms of racism, intolerance, and prejudice, whether it is anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or xenophobia. 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,” Ramaphosa added.
IOL