South Africa has called on the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to establish a taskforce to explore possible parliamentary solutions to the Israel-Palestine conflict that has claimed thousands of lives – including over 13,000 children – since October 2023.
Drawing parallels with the IPU’s Task Force on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, head of South Africa’s delegation to the 148th Assembly of the IPU currently underway in Geneva, Sylvia Lucas, proposed a similar approach for the Israel-Palestine situation.
“As parliamentarians, by embracing and implementing these good practices, we contribute to fostering peaceful and collaborative international relations. Through our dedicated efforts in parliamentary diplomacy, we facilitate understanding, collaboration and constructive engagement on the global stage,” Lucas said on Tuesday.
This diplomatic effort at the global parliamentary level would complement ongoing peace efforts to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants who operate from Palestine’s Gaza Strip enclave.
Highlighting the International Court of Justice (ICC)’s provisional measures on Israel, Lucas called upon IPU member parliaments to exercise their constitutional duty in ensuring compliance with the Genocide Convention.
The ICJ ordered provisional measures on January 26 this year in South Africa’s case alleging that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention by continuing to bombard the Gaza Strip.
The court adopted “provisional measures” or binding orders that include requiring Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance, and to prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide.
Lucas, who is the deputy chairperson of South Africa’s National Council of Provinces, urged the IPU to oversee the implementation of these measures and establish mechanisms to address related issues, including detainees and hostages.
She advocated for support towards initiatives delivering enduring peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and emphasised the importance of a two-state solution.
Lucas spoke as a UN Security Council call for a Ramadan ceasefire failed to hold on Tuesday, with the Gaza Ministry of Health reporting Tuesday that at least 81 people were killed in the 24 hours since the resolution was passed in New York on Monday.
The total death toll in Gaza since October 7 now stands at 32,414, with a further 74,787 people injured, according to the ministry.
JN/APA