South Africa: Israel Uses Starvation as a Weapon in Gaza
Cape Town (Quds News Network)- South Africa has condemned Israel’s decision to block aid deliveries into Gaza, calling it “a continuation of starvation as a weapon of war.” The statement was made as a fragile ceasefire since January had allowed a small amount of aid to enter Gaza. But on Sunday, Israel halted deliveries, demanding Hamas agree on a new completely different agreement.
South Africa’s foreign ministry denounced Israel’s move. “The people of Gaza are experiencing immeasurable suffering and urgently need food, shelter, and medical supplies,” it said. Pretoria urged the international community to “hold Israel accountable” for what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled could be “plausible genocide.”
South Africa brought a case against Israel at the ICJ in December 2023, accusing it of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Israel has denied that it has been committing genocide. Several nations, including Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, Chile, and Libya, have joined the case. While ICJ rulings are legally binding, the court lacks enforcement power.
South Africa also condemned Israel’s occupation and attacka in the occupied West Bank, warning that the expanded Israeli presence “signals an intent to re-establish full-scale military occupation.” Israeli forces raided Jenin city on Tuesday, killing at least three people. The Israeli military acknowledged the crime. South Africa called the offensive “a dangerous escalation” that threatens Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Israel has proposed extending the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April to guarantee releasing more Israeli prisoners without withdrawing forces from Gaza. Hamas, however, demands a transition to the second phase, as mentioned in the ceasefire agreement that both Israel and Hamas had signed, which would lead to a permanent end to the genocide.
