South Africa condemns the massive Israeli airstrikes launched across Gaza on Tuesday, which have killed over 350 Palestinians. These deadly airstrikes emerge after a failure to implement the second stage of the peace agreement by Israel and despite ongoing negotiations to ensure that the ceasefire holds.

The fatal attacks were reportedly greenlighted by the Israeli leadership more than a week ago, which again raises concerns about the commitment to a permanent ceasefire as envisaged in the ceasefire plan brokered by the USA, Egypt and Qatar. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, many of those killed were children and several victims remain under the rubble.

The airstrikes were concentrated on heavily built-up neighbourhoods, makeshift schools and residential buildings where people have been sheltering, which is again a blatant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.

South Africa is gravely concerned by the military onslaught, and the fact that millions of people in Gaza are facing severe food and water shortages as Israel continues to block aid and cut off energy supplies to the strip. Israel, which has enforced a total blockade of Gaza, has now issued new forced displacement orders for several areas.

The provisional orders issued by the International Court of Justice oblige Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide, ensure humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza, and to preserve evidence related to alleged genocide.

The United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi has urged that the ceasefire in Gaza be immediately reinstated and called the waves of airstrikes across the Gaza strip since the early hours of the morning ‘unconscionable.’

South Africa also condemns the four targeted Israeli military strikes launched against southern Syria overnight, which killed at least two and wounded 19 others on the outskirts of the southern Syrian province of Deraa.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel targeted a military site previously used by former President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, but which is now used by the army of Syria’s transitional government. Israel’s airstrikes and previous statements that it does not want any Syrian military presence in the south of Syria is a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

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