APA-Pretoria (South Africa) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has added his voice to calls for an end to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict that has claimed over 2,000 lives and injured more than 3,000 others since Saturday.
In a statement late Wednesday, Ramaphosa said South Africa is “gravely concerned at the devastating escalation” in the Israeli-Palestinian fighting and the atrocities committed against civilian populations over the past few days.
“We call for the immediate cessation of violence and the exercise of restraint,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “It is vital that all those who require urgent humanitarian assistance are provided with the basic life-supporting necessities and that human suffering is ameliorated.”
He offered South Africa’s help to mediate in the conflict, saying Pretoria has previous experience in conflict resolution.
“South Africa is ready and willing to work with the international community and to share our experience in mediation and conflict resolution as we have done on the continent and around the world,” he said.
He urged the international community to accelerate its support for an inclusive process towards a lasting and durable peace that produces a viable Palestinian state, existing in peace alongside Israel within the 1967 internationally recognised borders – with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Last Saturday Hamas, a Palestinian militant group based in the Gaza Strip, stormed into Israeli towns, leaving dozens dead and abducting others during a major Jewish holiday.
Israel responded by “declaring war” on Hamas, starting with current air strikes in Gaza as Tel-Aviv prepares a ground assault to “annihilate” the group from ever threatening Israelis again, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ramaphosa joins Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço who on Wednesday called for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Lourenço is current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community.
NM/jn/APA