South Africa condemned the Israeli government for ideas of annexation of the West Bank, the country's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said. The initiative concerning the Palestinian lands was proposed by Israel’s Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday.
"The Israeli Government has long sought to find ways to permanently seize or annex the occupied West Bank. South Africa calls on the international community to unequivocally oppose the Israeli government’s continued violation of its obligations under International Law and Resolutions relating to its belligerent occupation," the statement read.
South Africa calls on the Jewish state to comply with the UN resolutions and the international law. The country also considers reviving a political process necessary to create a Palestinian state.
In May, the ICJ ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, marking the third time the court has issued preliminary measures to curb the death toll and alleviate humanitarian suffering in the besieged territory. The current casualty count in Gaza has surpassed 43,000, according to local health authorities.