South Africa has condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Gaza, which killed approximately 100 Palestinians on Friday, as heinous massacres. In a statement on Saturday, the South African government called for an end to Israel’s “genocidal aggression,” describing its actions as part of a wider campaign of forced displacement and starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Among the casualties was a deadly airstrike on two homes in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, which killed 75 Palestinians from two families. The South African Foreign Ministry also accused Israel of blocking ambulances and rescue teams from reaching the scene and preventing journalists from entering the area for several hours.
The violence resulted in the death of Dr. Ahmad Kahlut, the head of the intensive care unit at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital. South Africa expressed grave concern over the escalating hunger and suffering in Gaza, which it described as catastrophic.
Pretoria urged the United Nations Security Council to facilitate immediate humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, following Resolution 2735. The international community has increasingly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes. Israel is also facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
