SA condemns killing of prominent Hamas political leader Haniyeh
THE Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has condemned the killing of Hamas leader Dr Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh was killed in an air strike in Iran in the early hours of Wednesday. He had been attending the inauguration of the country's new president.
Iran held funeral processions yesterday for the Hamas political chief.
Expressing his condolences to Haniyeh's family, International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola said the government was concerned that the continuous targeting of civilians in Gaza would further escalate the already tense situation in the entire region.
“South Africa urges that a thorough investigation be conducted and call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid any acts that would escalate tensions in the particularly fragile region,” Lamola said in a statement.
The minister said such acts of extra-judicial killings violated international law and the principles of human rights, undermining global efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
“No country is above the law and all nations must respect international law, particularly the principles outlined in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the minister said.
He added that any form of extra-judicial killing is a blatant violation of these principles and extra-judicial killings of this nature have a destabilising effect. It is crucial that the perpetrators of such actions must be brought to justice.
“South Africa reiterates its view that the international community must act immediately to bring to an end the genocide in Gaza, end impunity, end the aggression meted against Palestinians and end the illegal occupation by Israel,” Lamola said.
The SA Jewish Board of Deputies however said Dirco's pro-Hamas bias had been “evident since former minister Pandor's call to Haniyeh in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 atrocities”.
“The depiction of Haniyeh in Dirco's statement ignores the atrocities he was responsible for, both against the people of Gaza and against Israeli civilians.
“Haniyeh used his position to amass extreme wealth, living in luxury in exile while the people he led suffered in poverty and hunger. Given Haniyeh's history, the hypocrisy of the SA government's statement is frankly ludicrous.
“Haniyeh was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks that started this current conflict, and the root cause of the suffering of the people of Gaza. Furthermore, by refusing to release the hostages that his movement holds, Haniyeh extended the agonising plight of Gazans.”
South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP) condemned the assassination of Haniyeh as a serious setback for the ceasefire negotiations.
“SAJFP unequivocally condemns the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of the Hamas Party. His role as a diplomat has been invaluable in attempts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza which, in turn, would not only guarantee cessation of attacks from Israel's neighbouring states but also avoid conflagration in the region.
“Haniyeh's assassination is the clearest sign that Israel is not interested in a ceasefire. Instead, we are now facing the serious prospect of a regional war and, as such, more civilian loss and suffering.”