South African Government condemns the unlawful targeting of refugee camps in Rafah by the Israeli occupation forces
28 May 2024
The South African Government joins the international community in condemning the deplorable and brutal attacks on innocent civilians after Israeli forces bombed a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in a designated safe zone in Rafah, killing dozens of people including women and children with some of these victims reported to be in critical condition.
The heinous attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population had sought shelter before Israel’s incursion of Rafah.
Equally, South Africa is gravely concerned with the continuous targeting of hospitals, medical infrastructure, schools, and holy sites that are a source of shelter and protection for the civilian population who bear the brunt of the inhumane attacks. These continued attacks on innocent civilians pose an extreme risk to humanitarian supplies, basic services in Gaza, the survival of the Palestinian medical system, and the survival of Palestinians in Gaza as a group.
The current conditions confirm that South Africa is justified for approaching the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2023, as a State Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (‘Genocide Convention’), seeking an order to prevent Israel from committing genocide against the Palestinian people. What we are witnessing today bears testimony to South Africa’s assertions.