South Africa condemns Israel aid blockade in Gaza, accuses it of weaponizing starvation
Creator: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA | Credit: REUTERS
South Africa has strongly criticized Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid into Gaza, calling it an act of using starvation as a weapon of war.
The restriction, implemented on Sunday, followed Israel’s demand that Hamas accept its terms for extending the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since January.
“Preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation 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,” South Africa’s foreign ministry stated. The ministry urged the international community to hold Israel accountable, emphasizing that the people of Gaza urgently need food, shelter, and medical supplies.
South Africa has been at the forefront of legal action against Israel, having brought a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, alleging violations of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Several nations, including Spain, Mexico, and Chile, have since joined the case. While ICJ rulings are legally binding, the court lacks enforcement mechanisms.
Beyond Gaza, South Africa also condemned Israel’s escalating military offensive in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Jenin.
The offensive, which has expanded since January 21, has seen the highest levels of Israeli military presence in the region since 2002, displacing tens of thousands.
South Africa warned that the deployment of Israeli tanks in the West Bank for the first time in two decades signals an intent to re-establish full-scale military occupation.
