South Africa has called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has launched extended airstrikes this week, resulting in hundreds of deaths and the displacement of thousands of civilians.
Pretoria expressed deep concern over the recent escalation of “extrajudicial killings,” including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other Lebanese leaders.
“The indiscriminate explosions caused by Israel’s attacks are deeply troubling and warrant strong condemnation from the international community,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that such attacks on civilians constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. It added that these actions are exacerbating the already tense situation in the Middle East and undermining international peace efforts in the region.
“We stand in solidarity with the Government of Lebanon during this challenging time and express our support in the aftermath of these ongoing attacks,” the ministry said.
Last year, South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing acts of genocide during its military campaign in Gaza. South Africa called for the perpetrators of these “premeditated crimes” in Lebanon to be held accountable through an “international, transparent investigation.”
“South Africa urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire and adherence to international law to prevent a major regional military conflagration with devastating consequences for all countries involved,” the readout said.