PRESS STATEMENT: #Africa4Palestine welcome ceasefire, calls for Israel to be held accountable at ICC
20 May 2021
The human rights organization #Africa4Palestine cautiously welcomes the announcement that Israel has been forced to cease its attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
After 11 days Israel has killed over 230 Palestinians including more than 60 children and 3 pregnant women. More than 1900 Palestinians have been injured. Over 1800 homes have been destroyed. 6 high rise buildings have been destroyed. 90 000 Palestinians have been displaced.
These killings and destruction by Israel are unacceptable. Israel must be held accountable for its recent and ongoing violations of international law and human rights abuses.
We, as an organization, have been supporting the Palestinian call for Israel to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. In this vein, we welcome the statement by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, in Parliament today, where she said:
“The cruel bombings and killings of the innocent we witnessed in the past two weeks are a sad testimony of the cruel impunity the world has granted to Israel. The international community must stop this impunity. South Africa should support the International Criminal Court in the planned investigation of the abuse of human rights by the Israeli Government. We hope sanctions and other measures to show the world’s offence at this brutality will soon be evident.”
Pandor’s statement came on the back of the strongest yet condemnation by the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, against Israel and its “apartheid type of state”.
We, as #Africa4Palestine, recommit ourselves to the Palestinians and their progressive Jewish Israeli allies to do all in our power in contributing to bringing an end to Israel’s apartheid policies. For only then will Palestinians, and indeed Israelis, truly be free. Ours is to create a world where a Palestinian child can be that, a child. A world where all children are safe, safe from violence and death – safe to play, to laugh, to love and be loved. Ours is to create a more loving world.
#Africa4Palestine will be with community members and various organisations including the ANC, SACP, COSATU throughout this weekend at Palestine solidarity events in the Western Cape, Kwa Zulu Natal, Northern Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.
ISSUED BY AFRICA 4 PALESTINE
For comment:
Executive Director, Muhammed Desai: +27 (0) 84 211 9988
Spokesperson, Tisetso Magama: +27 (0) 61 414 6348
AFRICA 4 PALESTINE (FORMERLY BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
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Africa4Palestine is a registered Non-Profit Company. Registration Number: 2020/549404/08
Africa4Palestine is a registered Section 18 Public Benefit Organization. Registration Number: 930071587
