South Africa Condemns Israeli Actions in Gaza Strip

South Africa condemned the killing of 143 Gazans by Israeli troops on May 15, coinciding with the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, which marks the beginning of the displacement of Palestinians in 1948.

A Foreign Ministry statement noted that Pretoria recalls that as the famine worsens in Gaza and ceasefire efforts continue to stall, Israel’s total blockade of aid to the Strip and its restrictions on humanitarian access contravene that State’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The document adds that Israel’s persistent and grave violations are part of a broader strategy to expel Palestinians from their land, subjecting them to starvation and rendering the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.

Consequently, the Foreign Ministry stresses that South Africa reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of a political process to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The text stresses that the international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, in particular humanitarian and human rights law.

This includes the implementation of effective measures to end the occupation, the collective punishment policies and practices in force, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.