President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government are closely monitoring developments regarding the possibility that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue a warrant of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior officials.

It emerged that the ICC could issue the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and senior officials in Tel Aviv for the war in Gaza.

The war has killed over 34,000 people including women and children. It was reported that the ICC may issue the arrest warrants this week.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Monday they are watching the developments in the Middle East and that the ICC was on the case.

He said no individual was above the law. He said all countries must adhere to international law and be subjected to it.

“With respect to a warrant of arrest that may be issued we will follow those developments as they progress. What interventions that are made by institutions that are set up to safeguard international law, to safeguard the lives of citizens we will applaud those measures as and when those measures are being taken. We are part of those institutions and we do believe to the adherence to the principles of international law and we do believe that no country and no individual should be above those international legal obligations,” said Magwenya.

He said South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague was still continuing.

South Africa took Tel Aviv to The Hague last December for provisional measures to provide humanitarian aid and protect civilians against attacks.

Israel has been bombing Palestine for the past few months and most of the infrastructure has been razed to the ground.

The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that more than 34,000 people have been killed, and most of them were women and children. Thousands others have been left injured.

Magwenya said the ICJ has provided dates for the hearing of the case.

“With respect to the matter before the ICJ, the matter is proceeding. Dates have been provided in terms of when that case will be heard. The ICJ has been providing regular updates in that regard. We will continue putting pressure parallel to the court process on Israel and its allies to do the right thing in terms of working towards a permanent ceasefire, in terms of urgently providing necessary humanitarian aid and more importantly creating an environment that will be conducive to further negotiations and talks that will ultimately result in Palestinians are able to run their own affairs, their own state and that will result in peace in that region.”

South Africa has always believed that the only solution was through dialogue and all parties must engage on the need to end the war.

Magwenya said this is the message they have been communicating to all parties since the war begun late last year.

siyabonga.mkhwanazi@iol.co.za

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