South Africa has renewed its call for the international community to intensify pressure on Israel by recognising Palestinian statehood and taking a firm stance against what it describes as escalating violence in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, speaking in an interview on Tuesday, underscored the need for more nations to align with efforts aimed at halting Israel’s military campaign, which Pretoria continues to characterise as genocidal. He suggested that growing international unease, including among some of Israel’s traditional allies, could mark a turning point in confronting the crisis.
South Africa has been at the forefront of legal and diplomatic action over the war in Gaza, having filed a case at the International Court of Justice in December 2023. The suit accuses Israel of committing acts that violate the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, following the military response to the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas.
Israel has categorically rejected the genocide allegations, maintaining that its actions fall within the bounds of self-defense and international law.
Several nations have added their weight to the proceedings, including Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, Chile and Libya.
The leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada have meanwhile said they plan to recognise a Palestinian state in September, and urged other nations to do so.
“We call for more countries to continue to recognise Palestine,” Lamola told AFP.
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“This will put the pressure so that we can end up with a ceasefire.”
Nearly two years into the conflict that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the humanitarian toll in Gaza has grown staggering. While the Israeli military has carried out widespread and sustained operations across the enclave, Palestinian casualties have mounted, with the Gaza health ministry—run by Hamas—reporting over 60,900 deaths.
The war, which began with the killing of over 1,200 people and the abduction of hundreds during the Hamas-led incursion, has since reduced large portions of Gaza to rubble. Aid organisations continue to sound the alarm, warning that the region’s 2.4 million residents are facing a fast-deepening famine.
South African officials have expressed frustration over what they describe as the international community’s delayed response. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said the warning signs were clear when South Africa first brought its genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice in late 2023. He suggested that earlier intervention might have averted the scale of suffering now unfolding.
Despite growing international concern, Lamola criticised the global community’s hesitation, saying urgent action is still needed to prevent further humanitarian collapse and to hold those responsible to account.
He also noted a deterioration in relations between Pretoria and Washington, accusing the U.S. government of meddling in South Africa’s internal affairs amid tensions over foreign policy differences.