Pandor reiterated that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza (Anatolia)
South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor defended the case her country submitted to the International Court of Justice against Israel, and called on all countries to stop funding the Israeli war on Gaza.
During a press conference in Pretoria on Wednesday, the South African diplomat reiterated that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
She pointed out that the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army daily far exceeds the average death toll in all the conflicts the world has witnessed in recent years.
Pandor added that South Africa resorted to the highest court in the United Nations to stop this genocide and destruction, based on its heritage of struggle and human rights, and its belief in defending human rights and peoples in the world.
Stop funding the war
Pandor said that there is an obligation on all countries to stop financing and facilitating Israeli military operations in Gaza after the International Court of Justice clearly indicated that these actions may constitute genocide.
Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its forces from committing genocide and to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.
The court did not go so far as to demand a ceasefire, and has not yet ruled on the substance of South Africa's case, which relates to the occurrence of genocide in Gaza. The ruling may take years.
The South African minister also said that she met with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last week to discuss the joint lawsuit that her country filed last November with other countries regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories.
She added to reporters, "I asked him why he was able to issue an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he could not do the same thing with the Prime Minister of Israel. He did not answer this question, but I read some of what he said that investigations are still ongoing."
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin last March, accusing him of supervising the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the International Court of Justice ruling issued last week as a step towards justice, and said he expected Israel to abide by it.
For decades, South Africa has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, comparing the plight of Palestinians to the plight of blacks in South Africa under the apartheid regime. Israel denies accusations of genocide, and rejects comparison to the apartheid era.
Source: Al Jazeera + Reuters