The South African government has joined several countries and organisations in condemning Israel after an airstrike that killed more than 40 people including children at a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in a designated safe zone in Rafah.
The attack came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah.
It is reported that more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population had sought shelter before Israel’s incursion into Rafah.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) on Tuesday said the continued attacks on innocent civilians posed an extreme risk, including to humanitarian supplies, basic services in Gaza, the survival of the Palestinian medical system, and the survival of people.
“The current conditions confirm that South Africa is justified for approaching the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2023, as a State Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (‘Genocide Convention’), seeking an order to prevent Israel from committing genocide against the Palestinian people. What we are witnessing today bears testimony to South Africa’s assertions.
“The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over the situation in Palestine.
“We therefore call on the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to urgently act to ensure accountability for those that committing heinous crimes and protect the rights of Palestinians.”
Dirco said the issuance of arrest warrants which comply with international legal standards is becoming more urgent to bring those responsible to justice.
“It is the collective duty of the international community to ensure that atrocities of this nature are duly prosecuted in terms of the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions,” said Dirco.
According to the department, the escalation not only threatens regional stability but risks further inflaming an already tense and hugely volatile situation on the ground.
It highlighted that nothing can justify the deliberate killings and injuring of civilians as an entire population endures destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in modern history.
Meanwhile Unisa’s Senate resolved to call for a ceasefire and the cessation of genocidal attacks by Israel on the Palestinian people.
It called on the university’s council to instruct Unisa’s asset managers to divest any investments Unisa holds in Israeli companies, and companies supplying materials and weapons used by the State of Israel in their ongoing genocidal activities in Gaza.
“We endorse the academic boycott of Israel as declared by the worldwide Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement and as such commit to halting all academic connections with Israeli higher education and research institutions and organisations that officially endorse the ongoing genocidal activities by the State of Israel in Gaza.
Cape Times