By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress’ (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) has again pledged support for Palestine as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues.
Hamas launched a large-scale attack against Israel last Saturday, with Israel retaliating. At least 1 900 Gazans, including more than 600 children, have been killed in bloody violence over the last week of fighting.
The NEC, which is the ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences, is meeting in Boksburg this weekend.
As mass evacuations took place, the ANC’s national executive committee made a public showing of support for Palestine.
Speaking before the NEC meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC found similarities in the history of the ANC and Palestine with South Africa’s history of apartheid.
“We stand here because we are deeply concerned about the atrocities occurring in the Middle East, and we have passed our condolences to the people of Israel just as we are passing condolences to the people of Palestine,” Ramaphosa said.
“We have a full understanding of how the people of Palestine have taken up this issue because they are people who have been under occupation for almost 75 years. They have been waiting and waging a war against a government that has been dubbed an apartheid state.
“As people and an organisation that has struggled against an oppressive regime of apartheid, we pledge solidarity with the Palestinian people. As the ANC, we have always pledged our solidarity, and have always insisted that the only solution, especially with the issues of Palestine, is a two-state solution,” the president said on the sidelines of the ANC’s NEC meeting.
The Israeli government had warned that about 1.1 million people living in parts of Gaza should evacuate the area ahead of what is expected to be a ground invasion by Israel.
Ramaphosa said this call had to be stopped by Israel because of its grave implications for genocide, as Israel has already blocked the many exits from Palestine.
“The worst part is when the Israel government says 1.1 million people must evacuate the northern part of Gaza, having closed all the exit routes. We [do] believe that this is a serious matter of great gravity and concern.
“We have called on the international community to direct the Israel government to withdraw this command of getting people out of the Northern part of Gaza. It will amount to genocide as many people are going to die,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa also said officials were working on an evacuation plan for South Africans who are trapped in Gaza.
He said the State Security Agency and the Defence Intelligence were monitoring the situation as the situation changes rapidly.