South Africa accuses Israel of weaponising food in war on Gaza

South Africa yesterday said that “preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people.”

The Gaza Strip has seen an increase in the entry of humanitarian aid since a fragile ceasefire went into effect in January, but Israel announced on Sunday that it would freeze aid deliveries until Hamas accepts its terms for extending the truce.

South Africa’s Foreign Ministry stated: “The people of Gaza are experiencing immeasurable suffering and urgently need food, shelter and medical supplies,” adding, “South Africa calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable.”

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April, allowing for the release of more Israeli captives without any concessions from Tel Aviv, Hamas has insisted on moving to the second phase of the agreement, which would lead to a permanent end to the war.

In December 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying the war in Gaza violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a claim the occupation state denies but which the ICJ has said is “plausible”.

Pretoria was joined in its lawsuit by several countries, including Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkiye, Chile and Libya.

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