Pretoria: South Africa has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in the Gaza Strip by Israel. This comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on 15 May 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day, which marks the beginning of the displacement of Palestinians in 1948.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) emphasized the necessity for the international community to take decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law. DIRCO called for effective measures to end the occupation, cease collective punishment policies, and lift the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Further, DIRCO underscored the need for an immediate halt to arbitrary detention and acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children. These actions, they stated, violate international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms as defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. DIRCO insisted on the release of Palestinian detainees held without due process and the provision of compensation and rehabilitation for all victims, especially children, in line with international law and justice.
During recent hearings at the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Africa highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, describing it as a killing field. They warned of a human-made famine in Gaza due to the Israeli Government’s deliberate blockade of humanitarian aid.
DIRCO criticized Israel’s complete blockade of aid and restrictions on humanitarian access, which violate international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. They asserted that Israel’s grave violations are part of a strategy to remove Palestinians from their land by causing starvation and making the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.