South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, on Thursday urged more countries to recognize a Palestinian state and confront Israel to stop its “genocidal activities” against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
In a statement, Lamola said that even some of Israel’s friends are becoming “disgusted with the catastrophic conditions in Gaza,” which he believes means the world is getting “closer to stopping the genocidal activities.” He said that more recognition of a Palestinian state would increase pressure on Israel to end its crimes against the Palestinian people.
South Africa has been a prominent critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In December 2023, it filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of committing genocide.
Following South Africa’s move, a number of other countries have since joined the proceedings in support, including Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Türkiye, Chile, and Libya.
Meanwhile, leaders of France, the UK, and Canada have said they intend to recognize a Palestinian state in September and urged other nations to do the same.
Lamola also warned that famine is starting to emerge in Gaza, something South Africa had warned about previously. He stated that if the world had acted sooner, “we would not be where we are.”
