Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-02-01 10:36:09
South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, spoke out against Israel’s actions in Gaza, accusing them of ignoring a ruling by the U.N.’s International Court of Justice and continuing to kill hundreds of civilians. She also questioned why an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been issued in a case South Africa filed at the International Criminal Court. Pandor stated that South Africa is considering proposing other measures to the global community in an effort to stop Israel from killing civilians during its war in Gaza against Hamas militants.
The preliminary ruling by the U.N.’s International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent death, destruction, and acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and to urgently provide humanitarian aid to the territory. South Africa hopes that this ruling and Israel’s compliance with it will be discussed at the United Nations at a wider level.
Since the ruling, Israel has continued its military offensive in Gaza, resulting in more Palestinian deaths, including women and children. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 150 people were killed in the territory in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to over 26,700. South Africa’s foreign minister expressed concern that the court’s rulings have been ignored and warned of the danger of the world doing nothing to stop civilian casualties in Gaza, drawing a parallel to the inaction during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
The court’s ruling is binding on Israel, and the country could face U.N. sanctions if it is found to be breaching its orders. However, any sanctions may be vetoed by the United States, Israel’s close ally. Netanyahu has stated that Israel will continue to defend itself and its people against Hamas.
South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, has compared Israel’s policies to its own history under apartheid. The country is also pursuing a case against Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court, accusing him of war crimes.
South Africa met with the ICC court president and prosecutor to express their concerns about the slow pace of action on matters they referred for urgent attention. The ICC is the same court that issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. However, Israel, like Russia, is not a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC and does not recognize the court’s authority.
In conclusion, South Africa continues to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza and is exploring other measures to address the situation. The country remains committed to pursuing legal action against Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court.
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