Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-01-27 09:21:28
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa commented on the International Court of Justice’s ruling on Friday, stating that it has revealed Israel’s alleged crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. Ramaphosa also expressed his satisfaction with the court’s acknowledgment of the Palestinian people’s quest for justice. South Africa had lodged the genocide case against Israel at the United Nations court.
In a televised address following the ruling, Ramaphosa urged for a ceasefire to facilitate negotiations for peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine. He drew parallels between Israel’s actions in Gaza and South Africa’s history of apartheid, pointing out the similarities in oppressive policies and discrimination.
Critics, including leading rights groups in Israel, abroad, and Palestinians, have accused Israel of implementing an apartheid system during its 56-year occupation of the West Bank. They claim that this system relegates Palestinians to a second-class status and seeks to maintain Jewish dominance in the region.
Ramaphosa addressed criticism of South Africa’s involvement, emphasizing that the country’s history of dispossession, discrimination, and state-sponsored violence gives it a unique perspective and a responsibility to speak out on such matters.
The death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza exceeded 26,000 on the day of the court’s ruling. The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent further casualties and destruction, but it did not issue a ceasefire in the region.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported over 26,000 deaths and more than 64,400 injuries since the outbreak of the conflict. The court’s ruling has sparked global attention and renewed calls for an end to the violence in the region.
