South Africa on Wednesday "strongly" condemned Israel's refusal to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as well as its military operations in the West Bank, which it said "further threatens" Palestinians' pursuit of self-determination and statehood.
"South Africa concurs with Qatar, one of the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, that halting the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Blocking food from entering Gaza is part of Israel's "use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the ICJ ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people," Pretoria underlined.
Nearly 48,400 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli war since October 2023.
A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting the Israeli war that has caused widespread destruction and left the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza local authorities reported almost daily ceasefire violations by the Israeli army.
"The delay in releasing the 620 Palestinian prisoners constitutes a fundamental breach of negotiated terms," the South African statement said.
The surge in Israeli military presence in the West Bank signals a push for "full-scale military occupation" and weakens the Palestinian Authority, according to Pretoria.
Stressing that ban on activities of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) poses a "flagrant violation of international law," and denies Palestinians crucial support, the statement said: "The forced displacement of 40,000 Palestinians from Jenin, Tulkarem, Nour Shams and elsewhere threatens to erase Palestinian refugee camps, and the right of return."
South Africa welcomed the outcomes of the Arab League summit on Tuesday, expressing its support for the Arab League's call for the deployment of a UN international peacekeeping force in the West Bank and Gaza.
It also expressed concern over Israel's "continuing violation" of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Taking advantage of Bashar Assad's removal in Syria, Israel expanded its occupation of the Golan Heights, declared the 1974 agreement void, seized the Syrian demilitarized zone and destroyed Syrian military equipment and ammunition in hundreds of airstrikes.
Israel has occupied territory in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon for decades, refusing to withdraw or recognize an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on pre-1967 borders.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
