Israel-Hamas war: South Africa urges end to hostilities

The South African government has launched an urgent call for an immediate end to violence between Israel and Palestine, expressing concern over the brutal escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

South Africa has joined international voices calling for an end to hostilities between Israel and Palestine, expressing “deep concern” over the recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a statement released Saturday evening, South Africa’s foreign ministry condemned the ongoing violence, attributing the surge to factors including “illegal occupation of Palestinian land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the mosque Al-Aqsa and Christian holy sites, as well as the continued oppression of the Palestinian people. »

The launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by Hamas in response to the attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalation of violence by Israeli settlers further inflamed the situation. Hamas claimed to have fired rockets and taken many Israelis prisoner.

In response, the Israeli army launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, intensifying the conflict. The human losses on both sides are alarming, with at least 750 Israelis missing and, according to medical sources in Gaza, more than 313 Palestinians killed and nearly 2,000 others injured.

South Africa stressed the need for a credible peace process, consistent with previous UN resolutions in favor of a two-state solution and comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine. She highlighted her continued engagement with the international community to foster lasting peace, culminating in the creation of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state, coexisting peacefully with Israel, based on the internationally recognized 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. .