JOHANNESBURG, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Naledi Pandor, minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, on Tuesday reiterated her country's call for a two-state solution to end the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
"South Africa will continue to do everything within its power to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group, to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people," she stated.
Speaking at the expanded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) dialogue hosted in Russia Tuesday, Pandor said that the bloc must work hard to make its voice heard and address the concerns of those in need. As the South African government has been relentless in ensuring Israel acts within the law regarding the Palestinians, she said the battle would continue.
"South Africa welcomes the order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of May 24, 2024, that Israel should halt military action in Rafah, and we see the provisional measures ordered by the Court thus far as a signal of (a) decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people," she noted.
The minister further stated that the "injury" to international human rights law inflicted by Israel was significant and called on the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to act to ensure accountability for those committing war crimes.
"South Africa believes that finding and agreeing on a realistic two-state solution would bring lasting peace and would address the root causes of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict," Pandor noted. "A solution is long overdue, and an agreement must urgently be negotiated. The agreement must result in the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian State, based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital that exists side by side, in peace and security with Israel."
She also stressed South Africa's firm support for the full membership of Palestine as a member state of the United Nations. ■