Johannesburg – South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor has issued a scathing assessment of the continued Israeli bombings of the Gaza Strip.
“We are horrified at the blatant targeting of civilians, a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law, the Geneva Convention, and its Protocols,” said Dr. Pandor.
“Both Hamas and the State of Israel have committed these violations.”
Dr. Pandor made her remarks during the Open Debate of the United Nations Security Council on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on Tuesday, (24 October 2023).
“The details they provided pointed to the terrible plight of innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the urgent need to ensure the release of hostages as soon as possible,” said Dr. Pandor.
“South Africa agrees with many of today’s speakers that the ultimate solution to the conflict is finalising the question of the two-state solution.
“We must work hard through the UN to create two states, Palestine, and Israel, living side by side in peace and security.
“And this must be in accord with the established UN resolutions on the two-state solution.”
Dr. Pandor said the Palestinian State should be created along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
She said South Africa also joins the urgent calls for an immediate comprehensive ceasefire and that humanitarian corridors should be opened so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need.
“Most importantly we call on all parties to exercise restraint and to desist from fuelling this patently unjust war and human suffering,” said Dr Pandor.
“We also express condolences to the people of Palestine and Israel for the lives lost during the past two weeks.”
Since the surprise Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023 in which over 1 400 people were killed, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 5 700 people in the Gaza Strip.
“The killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza by Israeli forces goes against the tenets of international law, which prohibits the targeting of non-combatants, especially women, the aged, and children,” said Dr. Pandor.
“There is an added obligation on an occupying power over the people and territory it occupies in terms of the Geneva Conventions including a prohibition against collective punishment.
“This does not detract from South Africa’s concern at the actions of Hamas which also targeted non-combatants.
“Whilst we express concern at the current violence and deaths, we cannot ignore the fact that one more day of continued occupation has bred hatred, suffering, and pain.
“Just as Israel deserves peace and security so are Palestinians deserving of sovereignty, peace, and security.
“For international law to be credible, it should be uniformly applied and not selective.”
Dr. Pandor said the conflict has again illustrated the inadequacy of our organisation, the United Nations, in particular the UN Security Council, which has the mandate of maintaining international peace and security.
“It has clearly not been able over time to prevent conflicts from spiralling into intense violence and harm to ordinary civilians,” said the SA Minister.
“All of us need to work harder at reforming our organisation so that it is more capable of responding to the protection of civilians.”
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres said the 7 October attacks inside Israel by Hamas were “appalling” but did not happen in a vacuum.
“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he said.
“They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished.
“Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”
His remarks sparked an angry response from Israel, which demanded that he resign for “justifying” the Hamas attacks.
The UN secretary general also called for an immediate ceasefire.
Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 700 people in a single day and hospitals in Gaza began to shut down for lack of fuel.
