Calls for ceasefire dominate UN’s Palestine solidarity event

The 29th of November marked the UN International Day of Solidarity with the people of Palestine, which was commemorated at Freedom Park in Tshwane.

Speaking at the event, which was hosted by the Embassy of Palestine, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and the United Nations, Mandela lauded President Cyril Ramaphosa for South Africa’s stance on the war.

"I want to take this opportunity to salute (Dirco) Minister Naledi Pandor and President Cyril Ramaphosa for their unequivocal stand (sic) with the Palestinian people and for lodging a charge with the International Criminal Court for the arrest of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his cabinet of war criminals."

The South African government has, since the October 7 surprise attack on Israel that resulted in the continued bombardment of Gaza, called for a ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid into affected communities, and an end to the collective punishment of Gazans.

Earlier this month, parliamentarians voted in favour of the closure of the Israeli embassy and the suspension of diplomatic ties until a ceasefire is agreed upon.

Mandela said the conditions of negotiation in the Israel-Hamas war should mirror those of South African activists when negotiating an end to apartheid.

"This may be the lull before the storm for the internal resistance, but we as a collective must close rank and intensify our struggle for a free Palestine by isolating apartheid Israel through boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign demanding the release of all political prisoners such as Ahed Tamimi and her father and thousands more that are languishing in apartheid jails."

On Tuesday, Israel and Hamas embarked on a two-day extension to a truce that has allowed Israeli hostages to be freed from Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Under the truce, 50 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Another 19 have been freed under separate deals, including Thai workers and a dual Russian-Israeli citizen.

But Lebanese ambassador to South Africa Kabala Frangieh said a truce is not enough.

 "It is really a humanitarian global crisis, and we have to deal with it as such. By starting yesterday to have a ceasefire, not a truce. Seeing those images on our Tv, they are asking us to be an accomplice if we don’t all for a ceasefire," he added.

Frangieh said Middle Eastern countries have been forced to take in displaced Palestinians through the decades of Israeli occupation, and this should not be allowed in this recent escalation.

"Since 1948, we saw 750,000 Palestinians displaced to the countries around Palestine – including my country, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries. We have seen another setback in 1967 where another time Palestinians were displaced – they haven’t chosen this – but now we are trying to convince the world that they are really victims."

Israel has been accused of wanting to force over a million Gazans into Egypt when it issued a warning for residents in the northern part of the enclave to move south.

Meanwhile, Palestine’s Ambassador Hanan Jarrar says as the world observes 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children, the focus must be on the plight of women and children in Palestine.

"We must remember that it’s Palestinian women and children who are the main targets of the Israeli occupation, especially now in Gaza."

Jarrar called for immediate action from the international community: "What is needed now is a collective call from the international community for a ceasefire, and for an end to the Israeli occupation so Palestinians can finally exercise their right to self-determination, and to establish their own independent state on the borders of 1967 with east Jerusalem as its capital."

At the same time, Mandela condemned the role of the United States and the United Kingdom in support of Israel, which continued to defend its militancy as self-defence while vowing to avenge the October Hamas attack by killing all of the resistance group’s leaders.

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