South Africa calls on Israel to end its 'genocidal aggression' in Gaza

JOHANNESBURG

South Africa on Saturday condemned "the heinous massacres" committed by Israel across Gaza on Friday that killed about 100 Palestinians.

“South Africa calls on Israel to end its genocidal aggression, forced displacement and starvation of the Palestinian people as a method of warfare in the Gaza Strip,’’ the Foreign Ministry said.

Pretoria said in one of the massacres, 75 Palestinians from two families were killed in airstrikes on two homes in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia.

“Israel prevented ambulances and rescue teams from reaching the site of the massacre and denied journalists entry for hours,’’ it said.

The head of the intensive care unit in the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr Ahmad Kahlut, was also killed in the Israeli attacks in northern Gaza.

Pretoria said according to authorities in Gaza, hunger and suffering among Palestinians have reached “catastrophic” levels.

The South African government also called on the UN Security Council to ensure the immediate and urgent entry of humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip pursuant to the Resolution 2735.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October last year, killing over 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.