Her remarks follow an initial warning issued in December by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) that citizens who “have joined or (are) considering joining” the Israeli army could be brought to justice.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, has reiterated that nationals who have served in the Israeli army will be prosecuted upon re-entering the country.
“I’ve already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and who are fighting alongside or in the Israeli Defense Forces,” Pandor said at an event in Pretoria earlier this week.
“We are ready. When you come home, we’re going to arrest you,” the minister added.
Her remarks follow an initial warning issued in December by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) that citizens who “have joined or (are) considering joining” the Israeli army could be brought to justice.
“Such action can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, thus making them liable for prosecution in South Africa,” DIRCO said in a statement.
ICJ Case
South Africa has been consistently vocal about Israel’s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip.
In December it filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
The ICJ found it was “plausible” that Israel had committed acts that violated the Genocide Convention and ordered that Tel Aviv take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in Gaza.
‘World is Allowing Israel to Ignore ICJ Rulings’ – Naledi Pandor (VIDEO)
Last month, Minister Pandor expressed grave concern that “the world is allowing Israel to ignore the rulings of the International Court of Justice.”
Pandor added, “and no one is taking any measure to place a force in Palestine that would be a peace-enforcement force to protect the innocent civilians who have caused no harm whatsoever to Israel.”
South Africa has since made two urgent requests to the Court, one concerning Israel’s intended ground invasion of Rafah, and the other related to the catastrophic famine in the enclave.
The country has also brought war crimes charges against Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its assault on Gaza.
Israeli Offensive in Rafah – South Africa Submits Urgent Request to ICJ
Staggering Death Toll
Currently on trial before the ICJ for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 31,341 Palestinians have been killed, and 73,134 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
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The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire.’
(The Palestine Chronicle)
