Deputy President Paul Mashatile wants Israel to implement the decision of the UN top court. Picture: Elmond Jiyane/GCIS
Deputy President Paul Mashatile says they were worried that a few weeks after the United Nations top court ordered Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza, Tel Aviv has continued its bombardment of the city.
Mashatile said the civilian population in Gaza has not received humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
The International Court of Justice delivered its judgment a few weeks ago where it said Israel must implement provisional measures to stop the attacks in the strip.
Several countries have asked to join the South African application in The Hague.
The US Congress has tabled a Bill to review its relations with South Africa after the ICJ judgment.
Mashatile said they were concerned that Israel has not done anything to implement the decision of the World Court.
In fact, Israel has intensified its operations and more civilians have been killed since the judgment.
“It is, however, concerning that two weeks after the court's ruling, Israel has continued its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians, and it has failed to ensure that the civilian population receives adequate humanitarian aid and medical care, as well as the essentials required to sustain human life, such as food, water, and electricity.
“We will stand hand in hand with the Palestinians until they achieve their freedom. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice’,” said Mashatile.
Mashatile was addressing the Ubuntu awards in Cape Town on Saturday.
The deputy president also said South Africa’s decision to go to the World Court was based on its support for human rights.
Cabinet took the decision on December 8 and government assembled a team of lawyers to file court papers to the World Court by the end of December last year.
The application was heard in January and judgment on provisional measures was delivered a few weeks ago,
Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor told the media her security has been beefed up following threats to her and her family over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also raised the issue of Israel in his State of the Nation Address where he called on Tel Aviv to take “all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians.”
Pandor also called on the international community to help put pressure on Israel to abide by the decision of the ICJ.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics