Picture File: Minister of International Relations and Coorperation Naledi Pandor. Picture: X/@DIRCO_ZA
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor has called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, saying the actions by Israel and Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu are a violation of international law, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions and all its protocols.
Delivering a statement in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, Pandor said she would have expected that the International Criminal Court (ICC) would have issued an immediate arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Pandor said the attacks and kidnapping of innocent civilians by Hamas has also violated international law.
“However, chairperson, the murder of children, of women and the aged by Israel is an act that should have resulted in the ICC issuing an immediate arrest warrant for key decision makers, including Mr Netanyahu, who is responsible for violations of international criminal law.”
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Pandor said Israel’s “illegal occupation” of Palestine has ignited anger and hatred.
“While we express horror at the violence, it is critical that we acknowledge that the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel for several decades has led to bitter hatred and increased violence and that this violence is not the first violence that the people of Palestine have experienced.
“It has been going on for decades, and decades and decades and nothing we can say will obliterate that fact,” Pandor said.
She said that the retaliation on innocent civilians in Gaza, especially children, could not be condoned.
“The notion of Israel’s right to defend itself through military means has been used erroneously in international law by many and deliberately by others to justify the unlawful use of force by Israel on the people of Gaza and the West Bank.”
Pandor also lambasted the UN Security Council for not putting an end to the hostilities in Gaza.
“The security council, due to aggravated politicisation, has not at the very least been able to call for a humanitarian ceasefire.”
Pandor stressed there must be two state solution to end the conflict.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be solved through the establishment of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace. The Palestinian state should be created along the lines of the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital and in line with standing multiple UN resolutions.”
Pandor said the for the two-state solution to materialise, a peace process initiated by the UN needs to commence urgently.
Pandor said the South African government also wants humanitarian corridors to be opened, all civilian hostages to be freed and a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in Gaza.
On Monday, UN secretary-general António Guterres stressed the need for a ceasefire is becoming more urgent with every passing hour.
Guterres was addressing the media after officials in Gaza confirmed the death toll from Israeli attacks has reached more than 10 000, many of whom are women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The attack came after Hamas launched a surprise attack on 7 October, leaving 1 400 people – mostly civilians – dead, according to Israeli officials.
Guterres said the world should be concerned that more innocent people are being killed.
“Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of boys and girls are reportedly being killed or injured every day. More journalists have been reportedly killed over a four-week period than in any conflict,” Guterres said.
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