SOUTH Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which follows 15 months of Israel's extensive assault on Gaza.
Department spokesperson Chrispin Phiri called for the establishment of a “just and lasting peace” that protects and promotes the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis.
While the ceasefire was announced late on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the details were still being decided.
The actual implementation of the ceasefire agreement is expected to take place on Sunday.
On Wednesday, American President Joe Biden said there will be three stages to the ceasefire implementation.
The first will be a complete ceasefire within six weeks and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. This includes a release of hostages held captive.
The second phase is a permanent end to the war; and the third is to rebuild the city of Gaza, destroyed by Israeli bombing raids.
The deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas saw the destruction of Gaza in Palestine.
Israel’s hunt for Hamas destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46 707 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
Palestinian militants took 251 people hostage during the October 7 attack, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Phiri, for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said: “The ceasefire agreement is a crucial first step toward ending the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has deemed to be plausibly genocidal.
“The ceasefire must lay the basis for a just peace, which should include the establishment of a contiguous, independent, and viable Palestinian State. All obstacles to delivering humanitarian assistance must be lifted immediately and unconditionally, allowing civilians unrestricted access to essential food, water, shelter, and healthcare.”
On January 11, 2024, South Africa hauled Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the charge of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. This was for Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and siege of Gaza following the deadly October 7 attack.