“The question of Palestine remains unresolved after 75 years. The Palestinian question remains at the core of tensions in the Middle East.”
The South African government has reiterated its appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon, and the start of a political process to ensure a just and lasting peace.
“South Africa once again calls on the State of Israel to realize that the only way to achieve peace is a two-state solution, where Israel will be able to exist side-by-side in peace with a viable and fully independent Palestinian State, within internationally recognized parameters,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement on Monday to mark the 47th UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
WATCH | Minister Ronald Lamola participates at the Commemoration of the 47th United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.#PalestineSolidarity#UNDay#DIRCOhttps://t.co/YFmjXIcpbe
— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) November 25, 2024
“The question of Palestine remains unresolved after 75 years,” the statement noted, adding that the “Palestinian question remains at the core of tensions in the Middle East.”
The government said the occasion provided “a crucial opportunity to reflect and take stock of the plight of the people of Palestine.”
It emphasized that in keeping with South Africa’s “long-term and principled support” for the Palestinian people, and remained committed to supporting initiatives “aimed at refocusing the international agenda on Palestine and a revived Middle East peace process.”
The government further urged the international community to “work tirelessly” in assisting the Palestinian people “to achieve their aspirations of freedom, justice, and an independent Palestinian State.”
ICJ Case
South Africa filed its memorial to the International Court of Justice last month consisting of over 750 pages of text in its genocide case against Israel.
The government said the memorial contained “evidence which shows how the government of Israel has violated the genocide convention by promoting the destruction of Palestinians living in Gaza.”
‘Special Intent to Commit Genocide’ – South Africa Files Memorial in ICJ Case against Israel
This occurred through “physically killing them with an assortment of destructive weapons, depriving them access to humanitarian assistance, causing conditions of life which are aimed at their physical destruction and ignoring and defying several provisional measures of the International Court of Justice.”
This is in addition to “using starvation as a weapon of war and to further Israel’s aims to depopulate Gaza through mass death and forced displacement of Palestinians.”
Staggering Death Toll
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
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According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 44,211 Palestinians have been killed, and 104,567 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.
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’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Millions Displaced
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
CIVIL DEFENSE SPOKESMAN: 10,000 tents were severely damaged by rain in the Gaza Strip, and most of the displaced people's tents are damaged. pic.twitter.com/StTV6bjKZn
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 26, 2024
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.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
