South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, while leading a special summit of BRICS nations, criticized Israel, alleging war crimes and “genocide” in Gaza. The virtual meeting, hosted by Pretoria, focuses on establishing a collective approach among BRICS countries regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide,” Ramaphosa said.
Violent conflict escalated in Gaza following Hamas gunmen’s attack, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties, primarily civilians, marking it as Israel’s deadliest incident.
In response, Israel initiated intense airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza, governed by Hamas. Hamas reports over 13,300 fatalities, including thousands of children. On a positive note, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh suggested an impending truce with Israel, and Qatar, as a mediator, highlighted that negotiations to release hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group were nearing a resolution.
Ramaphosa called for an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and the deployment of a UN force “to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.”
“As individual countries, we have demonstrated our grave concern at the death and destruction in Gaza,” he told the summit.
“Let this meeting stand as a clarion call for us to combine our efforts and strengthen our actions to end this historical injustice.”
For a significant duration, South Africa has consistently advocated for the Palestinian cause, frequently connecting it to the African National Congress (ANC) party’s fight against apartheid.
Recently, Pretoria withdrew all its diplomats from Israel and, along with four other nations, urged an International Criminal Court inquiry into the conflict. In response, Israel’s foreign ministry announced the recall of its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations on Monday.
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