President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in his weekly letter to the nation that South Africa will continue to support efforts to find lasting peace in the Middle East. He made this statement on the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Over 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, which sparked an onslaught resulting in the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians.
Ramaphosa has warned that the escalating conflict in the Middle East, now involving Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Iran, threatens to plunge the region into a war, with civilians being the most affected.
“Later this month, South Africa will file a memorial at the International Court of Justice containing detailed evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine, South Africa will further call on Israel to immediately implement the court’s provisional orders issued in January, March, and 24 May this year”.
Ramaphosa stated that international law should be consistently applied to hold accountable all those who have committed atrocities in the ongoing conflict. He also called on all citizens to oppose antisemitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia.
