South Africa condemns latest Gaza atrocity
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – The South African government on Wednesday said it is gravely alarmed by reports confirming that at least 31 Palestinians were killed and over 200 injured near an aid distribution point in Rafah, Southern Gaza.
Eyewitnesses and medical personnel attest that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of desperate civilians seeking to access humanitarian aid. According to the Health Ministry, many victims were shot in the head and chest.
Pretoria says this atrocity is a stark reminder of the catastrophic and dire conditions under bombardment and siege in Gaza, where access to food and essential aid remains perilous and has become a matter of life and death.
“South Africa joins the global call for an immediate, impartial international investigation and reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, bears legal responsibility under international humanitarian law for the protection of civilians and to ensure safe access to aid. The targeting, killing and injuring of vulnerable civilians are in grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and incompatible with the principles of international humanitarian law and, accordingly, demand urgent scrutiny,” the Department of International Relations said in a statement received by PANA.
It noted that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s most authoritative source on food insecurity, has warned of an imminent risk of famine, stating that one in five Gazans is likely to face starvation in the coming weeks.
“South Africa further recalls that the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its ongoing case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against Israel, has issued three rounds of binding provisional measures aimed at halting irreparable harm to the Palestinian population. These have included specific instructions for the unhindered provision of humanitarian aid, all of which have been flagrantly defied by Israeli authorities,” the department added.
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