Statement

The African National Congress welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that our government has put through a referral to the International Criminal Court. We cannot sit back and watch the genocidal actions of the Israeli regime. President Ramaphosa has stated clearly that the ANC-led government as well as the ANC does not condone any form of violence directed at citizens. We welcome the fact in this intervention South Africa is not alone it has the support of other nations.

We reiterate our call for a cease-fire for humanitarian corridors to be fully operational. Given the unfolding atrocities in occupied Palestine, the African National Congress will agree to a parliamentary motion which calls upon the government to close the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until Israel agrees to a cease-fire and commits to binding United Nations facilitated negotiations whose outcome must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace.