President Ramaphosa reaffirms South Africa’s solidarity with Palestine and calls for justice at the ICJ.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in his New Year message, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
“As the conflict in the Middle East continues, as genocide is perpetrated against the people of Gaza and as Israeli hostages remain in captivity, we continue to call for the cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages,” said Ramaphosa in a statement issued on Tuesday.
‘Barbaric War’ – South Africa Demands End to Israel’s War on Gaza
“We have stood firm in our support for the struggle of the people of Palestine,” he emphasized.
The president stated that just as South Africa had “attained our freedom through the support and solidarity of many people and nations around the world, we continue to stand in solidarity with the victims of injustice in other parts of the world.”
ICJ Case
South Africa filed a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in late 2023, accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Several countries have joined the case, including Ireland, Türkiye, Nicaragua, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia.
In October, South Africa filed its memorial to the ICJ which it says contains evidence that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention in its ongoing military offensive in the enclave which has killed over 44,000 Palestinians.
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“The evidence will show that undergirding Israel’s genocidal acts is the special intent to commit genocide, a failure by Israel to prevent incitement to genocide, to prevent genocide itself and its failure to punish those inciting and committing acts of genocide,” the country’s Presidency said in a statement following the submission.
“The glaring genocide in Gaza is there for all who are not blinded by prejudice to see,” the statement said.
South Africa has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire as well as the start of a political process to ensure a just and lasting peace.
Staggering Death Toll
The ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, has led to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale. As the death toll among besieged and starved Palestinian civilians continues to rise daily, Israel is currently facing charges of genocide against Palestinians before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Palestine Chronicle junior correspondent Hidaya Hamad asked her friends at a displacement camp in southern Gaza about their wishes for 2025.
The children repeatedly shared the same wish: “We want to go home.”
Please share and amplify the voices of Gaza’s children. pic.twitter.com/CcXaIzW0No
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 31, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 45,541 Palestinians have been killed, and 108,338 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023. The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.
The war, which Palestinians call “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began after a military operation carried out by Hamas on Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,200 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the initial attack on October 7. However, Israeli media have raised concerns that a significant number of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.
Humanitarian Disaster
Human rights organizations, both Palestinian and international, have reported that the overwhelming majority of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. The ongoing violence has also exacerbated an acute famine, with thousands of children among the dead, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian disaster.
Over the past 14 months, I have received hundreds of messages from family members throughout the Gaza Strip. The nature of the messages often conveyed a sense of urgency and panic but, at times, contentment in God’s will.
Read the latest editorial by Ramzy Baroud.… pic.twitter.com/IIGqlW9odB
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 31, 2024
The war has displaced nearly two million people from their homes across Gaza, with the majority of the displaced forced into the already overcrowded southern region of the Strip. The population in Gaza remains trapped in the ongoing conflict, with little access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
