Ramaphosa expects Israel to abide by the ruling (Reuters)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice imposing emergency measures on Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a step on the path to justice, and expected Israel to abide by the ruling.

“We in South Africa will not stand as passive spectators and watch the crimes that were being committed against us happen in other places,” Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Friday evening, referring to the violations that were being committed against blacks in South Africa under the apartheid regime.

He added, "We expect Israel, as a country that describes itself as democratic and respects the rule of law, to adhere to these measures."

Ramaphosa, wearing the famous Palestinian keffiyeh, watched the proceedings before the International Court of Justice with fellow members of the ruling African National Congress party at a gathering outside Johannesburg.

Party officials sang and danced after the International Court of Justice ruling was read.

At another gathering in Cape Town, party officials expressed their happiness with the court's decision.

Justin de Linde, an ANC official in Cape Town, told Reuters, "We have taken the first step to end the violence... against the innocent Palestinian people. We are very happy with the ruling."

The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its forces from committing acts of genocide, impose punitive measures for acts of incitement, and take steps to improve the humanitarian situation at a time when it is waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip.

But the court stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and did not rule on the genocide in Gaza, which was the focus of the lawsuit filed by South Africa. It could take years to issue such a ruling.

Filing this lawsuit before the International Court of Justice represents a major diplomatic victory for South Africa, which has always defended the Palestinian cause and likened the suffering of the Palestinians to the persecution its people were subjected to under the apartheid regime, a comparison that Israel strongly rejects.

Source: Reuters