South Africa Condemns Israel’s Refusal to Allow Aid Into Gaza

JOHANNESBURG, Xinhua: South Africa has strongly condemned Israel’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and its closure of border crossings, calling it a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement and international humanitarian law.

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued the statement on Wednesday, following reports that Israel blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza on Sunday.

“Preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the International Court of Justice ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people,” the department said.

“South Africa concurs with Qatar, one of the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, that halting the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention,” it added.

Therefore, South Africa called on the international community to hold Israel accountable and ensure the safe, continuous and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip.

“South Africa also condemns Israel’s ongoing military operations in the West Bank that represent a dangerous escalation, and which further threatens the Palestinian quest for self-determination and statehood,” the DIRCO said.

The department further noted that the expanded Israeli military presence, now at its highest levels in the West Bank since 2002, signals an intent to re-establish full-scale military occupation, and undermines the Palestinian Authority and its governance.

“South Africa once again calls on the international community to act with urgency and decisive action to address the continued systematic violation of international law and international humanitarian and human rights law,” the DIRCO added.

The department said South Africa welcomes the outcomes of the Arab League Emergency Summit held on Tuesday, which supports a settlement on Gaza that is led by and inclusive of Palestinians and expressly rejects the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.