Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor. Picture: Atta Kenare/AFP
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor said it is shocking to see that Israel has no compassion for human life as it continued attacks on the Palestinian people.
Israel’s relentless attacks on Rafah continues to rage on despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to put an end to the military operation there.
Multiple deaths were reported from central and northern Gaza over the weekend, which have been subjected to renewed attacks.
The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to immediately stop its attacks in Rafah with Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the ICJ saying the situation in Gaza had “deteriorated” since the last court order, adding that Gaza is now characterised as “disastrous”.
Pandor said Israel acts with impunity and have “no interest in savings lives.”
“In fact everybody knows that Rafah was and is the last refuge. Palestinians who have been told to move from area to area and being bombarded as they move and continue to be bombarded when they are alive in a specified area.
“So, clearly an impunity and a careless regard both for international law and for human life is evident in the conduct we are seeing [by Israel],” Pandor said.
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Pandor said it is “heartbreaking” to see Palestinians dying, suffering and starving.
“It is heartbreaking and really for me what is shocking, is the degree to which there is complicity within Israel. It seems the entire citizenry has a very evil intention towards the people of Gaza and all other areas of the occupied Palestinian territories.
“I have not seen such levels of cruelty in my lifetime and I’m really horrified by what is underway in the occupied Palestinian territory,” Pandor said.
Pandor added that the Palestinian people are brave saying they faced the harm from Israel so many times and while the world had watch idly in the past without action, South Africa has drawn attention to the occupied Palestinian territories and the people of Palestine.
“The world will become more decisive in response and also that we will do more to address the matter of enforceability of decisions of the ICJ, of the Security Council of the United Nations and develop mechanisms in capacity that will allow the world to protect the innocent.”
Pandor said the latest ICJ ruling is stronger than the last two.
Israel gave no indication it was preparing to halt its attack on Rafah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticising the ICJ ruling, calling the charges of genocide brought by South Africa as “false, outrageous and morally repugnant”.
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