By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor has called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue a warrant of arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other key decisionmakers in Tel Aviv for contravention of international law in the war in Gaza.
Pandor told Parliament on Tuesday, during the debate on the Palestine conflict, that the murder of women, children and the elderly is an act that should have led to the ICC to immediately issue a warrant of arrest against Netanyahu and top officials in Tel Aviv.
She said the killing of Palestinians has been going on for too long, and the world has not acted.
Pandor said this was not the first time that the people of Palestine have come under attack from Israel, as this has been going on for decades.
She said the facts that have been released on the devastation of the conflict were horrendous.
More than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict began a month ago and thousands were injured.
The bombing of the Gaza Strip has led to the destruction of hospitals, clinics, schools and other public facilities.
“Therefore, as South Africa, we remain steadfast in calling for an immediate comprehensive ceasefire as well as opening of all humanitarian corridors to ensure much needed aid and basic services reach those in need,” said Pandor.
She said Israel was in violation of international law and the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions over its bombardment of civilians.
Pandor also lambasted the UN Security Council for not putting an end to the hostilities in Gaza.
“The security council, due to aggravated politicisation, has not at the very least been able to call for a humanitarian ceasefire.”
Pandor stressed there must be two state solution to end the conflict.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be solved through the establishment of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace. The Palestinian state should be created along the lines of the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital and in line with standing multiple UN resolutions.”
She said the for the two-state solution to materialise, a peace process initiated by the UN needs to commence urgently.
Pandor said the South African government also wants humanitarian corridors to be opened, all civilian hostages to be freed and a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in Gaza.
On Monday, UN secretary-general António Guterres stressed the need for a ceasefire is becoming more urgent with every passing hour.
Guterres said the world should be concerned that more innocent people are being killed.
“Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of boys and girls are reportedly being killed or injured every day. More journalists have been reportedly killed over a four-week period than in any conflict,” Guterres said.