International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor at the United Nations Security Council debate in New York - 24 October 2023. Photo: X/@DIRCO_ZA
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has expressed condolences to the people of Palestine and Israel for the lives lost during the past two weeks.
The minister called out both Israel and Hamaz for alleged violations of international law and urged for an immediate ceasefire.
Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an open debate on the Israel/Palestine conflict in New York on Tuesday, with the crisis deeply dividing the security council.
Israel’s heavy air and artillery strikes have killed 5,791 in Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry, and plunged the Palestinian territory into a dire humanitarian crisis with millions more displaced.
Israel was retaliating to an October 7 attack by Hamas.
Israel has also cut off water, food, fuel and energy supplies to Gaza, and only a trickle of aid has been allowed in from Egypt in recent days under a US-brokered deal.
Pandor expressed sadness at the loss of life.
“We are horrified at the blatant targeting of civilians, a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law, the Geneva Convention, and its Protocols. Both Hamas and the State of Israel have committed these violations.”
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However, Pandor said there are concerns about Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
“The killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza by Israeli forces goes against the tenets of international law, which prohibits the targeting of non-combatants, especially women, the aged and children.
“There is an added obligation on an occupying power over the people and territory it occupies in terms of the Geneva Conventions including a prohibition against collective punishment. This does not detract from South Africa’s concern at the actions of Hamas which also targeted non-combatants,” Pandor said
Pandor said the conflict has “again illustrated the inadequacy” of the United Nations, in particular the UN Security Council, which has the mandate of maintaining international peace and security.
“It has clearly not been able over time to prevent conflicts from spiralling into intense violence and harm to ordinary civilians. All of us need to work harder at reforming our organisation so that it is more capable of responding to the protection of civilians.”
Pandor said South Africa agreed with the speakers at the UNSC debate that the ultimate solution to the conflict is finalising the question of the two-state solution.
“We must work hard through the UN to create two states, Palestine, and Israel, living side by side in peace and security. And this must be in accord with the established UN resolutions on the two state solution. The Palestinian State should be created along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
South Africa also joins the urgent calls for an immediate comprehensive ceasefire and that humanitarian corridors should be opened so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need,” Pandor said.
Meanwhile, twenty trucks were unable to transport aid to Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the United Nations said.
“We hope the materials can enter Gaza tomorrow,” said UN aid spokesperson Eri Kaneko. She did not say why the trucks had not been able to cross into Gaza from Egypt on Tuesday.
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