“Just as the countries of the world need to work together to ensure that this conflict is not allowed to spread, the international community must be seized with efforts to end the violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Calling for an immediate ceasefire, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that a “protracted regional conflict that leads to the loss of more innocent lives is something the Middle East and the world cannot afford.”
“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,” Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter on Monday. “As the UN Secretary-General has said, each escalation after the next is leading the people of the Middle East over the cliff.”
His statement marked one year since the October 7 resistance operation against the Israeli occupation.
President's Desk | President Ramaphosa reiterates call for peace and immediate ceasefire in #Gaza https://t.co/xUaGP7zPJd pic.twitter.com/bRYfyiHPDw
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) October 7, 2024
“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 7 October last year,” said Ramaphosa.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
‘Peaceful Resolution’
Ramaphosa said South Africa remained “committed to the peaceful resolution to ending the occupation of Palestine, to upholding the tenets of international law and to advancing social justice.”
“We once again 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,” he added.
He noted that amid efforts by the international community to secure a ceasefire, “the situation has been worsened by strikes by Israel on Lebanon and by Iran on Israel. Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran and Iran has threatened to respond accordingly.”
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The president called on all parties to exercise restraint and for the tenets of international law to be respected.
“Just as the countries of the world need to work together to ensure that this conflict is not allowed to spread, the international community must be seized with efforts to end the violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said.
Ramaphosa emphasized that 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.”
ICJ Case
South Africa will file a memorial with the International Court of Justice to hold all those responsible for the conflict to account, he said.
“Later this month, we will file a memorial, which is South Africa’s full substantive case based on evidence, at the International Court of Justice,” Ramaphosa explained.
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“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 26 January, 28 March 2024 and 24 May 2024.”
‘Pattern of Conflict’
He stressed that conflict “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,” said Ramaphosa.
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He pointed out that “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.
“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 stated.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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