Israel-Palestine Escalation
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

World Powers Must Call on Israel to Stop 'Crime Against Humanity' in Gaza: South Africa's FM

© AP Photo / Fatima ShbairPalestinians search for survivors of an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip
Palestinians search for survivors of an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 16.11.2023
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South Africa has repeatedly expressed its deep concern over the escalation in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestine and called for the opening of a humanitarian corridor. The country has also hosted mass rallies in support of Palestine, organized by both the ruling African National Congress and opposition parties.
South Africa's top diplomat, Naledi Pandor, in an interview with Al Jazeera, called Israel's actions in Gaza a "crime against humanity" and urged countries with influence to call on the Jewish state to stop the violence.
"I think the world has seen enough, and it is time for the most powerful in the world to put a stop to this horror that Israel is unfolding against the people of Palestine," she said. "It is only countries that have influence over Israel who can stop this real crime against humanity that we are seeing right before our eyes."
She also revealed that the government is working to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its continued offensive in Gaza. However, the top diplomat noted that the government expected the ICC to respond sooner, given the high number of casualties from the conflict.
"We would have anticipated that the ICC would react much earlier because thousands of people have been mowed down," Pandor pointed out. "And these are innocent Palestinian people who have suffered decades of harassment and occupation."
According to Pandor, Israel's conduct toward the Palestinians is very similar to the practices of the apartheid government of South Africa.
These practices mean that people cannot buy property, it can be taken away without compensation, and people have to carry documents stating their ethnicity instead of their citizenship, the top diplomat explained.
"All of this is part of the apartheid feature," Pandor told the outlet. "So, there can be no denial that the corollary between the conduct of the Israeli state against the people of Palestine is so closely aligned to the apartheid conduct."
Last week, South Africa announced that it would withdraw all its diplomats from Israel to express its concern over the situation in Gaza. Similarly, the South African Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky and informed him of the inadmissibility of his recent statements regarding the situation in Gaza and South Africa's foreign policy.
On November 8, Pandor unveiled a seven-point plan to resolve the Gaza crisis, including, among other things, the immediate implementation of a ceasefire, the opening of humanitarian corridors, and the dispatch of a UN rapid deployment force to Palestine to protect civilians.
Обстрел зданий в палестинском городе Газа - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 08.11.2023
Israel-Palestine Escalation
South Africa's Top Diplomat Proposes Plan to Resolve Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Since the escalation between Israel and Palestine in early October, South Africa, Bahrain, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Turkey, and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors from Israel, with Bolivia and Belize cutting diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.
On October 7, Palestinian Hamas militants launched a surprise massive rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaching the border, killing, and kidnapping residents of neighboring Israeli communities. Israel retaliated by imposing a complete blockade on Gaza, cutting off water, food, and fuel supplies.
On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated goal of destroying Hamas militants and rescuing hostages.
The conflict resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel and more than 11,500 deaths in Gaza.
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