Cabinet has condemned Israel's refusal to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and its closure of border crossings.
This at a time when " the people of Gaza are experiencing immeasurable suffering" and urgently need food, shelter, and medical supplies.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said this action 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 (ICJ) ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people.”
“Cabinet reiterates our nation’s call 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,” Ntshavheni said at the briefing held in Cape Town.
Earlier this month, South Africa condemned the refusal of Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
READ | SA condemns Israel’s refusal to allow aid into Gaza
In a statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, 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.”
In December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the ICJ, saying it is committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The ICJ issued a provisional ruling in January 2024, ordering Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and take measures to prevent genocide. – SAnews.gov.za
