South Africa has strongly condemned the Israeli aggression on the Gaza strip which has so far claimed the lives of 32 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, and injured more than 210 others, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it is concerned that Israeli military statements indicate that the operation would “take a long time” and that the ongoing aggression continues to place innocent civilians at severe risk.
32 Killed, Many Trapped under Rubble: #Israeli Aggression on Besieged #Gaza Continues (UPDATED) #GazaUnderAttack https://t.co/hj1eZfIrVH via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/nYkMegUOA6
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) August 7, 2022
“Attacks that kill innocent civilians have no justification, and they are more abhorrent as they are committed by an occupying power which has besieged the Gaza Strip for over a decade in contravention of international law,” said DIRCO.
Pretoria also said that, as an occupying power, Israel has specific obligations in terms of international human rights and humanitarian law, which it continues to breach without being held accountable.
#Gaza this Evening: #Israeli Aggression and #Palestinian #Resistance (PHOTOS) https://t.co/F1NfaM33RZ via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/XgzM7tbVMw
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) August 6, 2022
“The international community has an obligation to ensure that international law is not violated indiscriminately and to urgently stop the Israeli occupation forces repeated attacks against civilians, especially women and children as well as the illegal blockade in Gaza,’’ it said.
It added that the killing of children by the Israeli government must be urgently addressed.
(WAFA, PC, SOCIAL)
