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SA wants Israel to halt attacks
20/05/2004 11:55 - (SA)
Johannesburg - South Africa is calling on Israel to immediately stop its attacks in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza strip, saying it was "excessive", a violation of international law and counterproductive to peace.
A total of 40 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli army launched a raid early on Tuesday dubbed "Operation Rainbow" in the Rafah camp and aimed at stopping arms smuggling from Egypt through cross-border tunnels.
Expressing "grave concern" over the incursions, the foreign ministry said in a statement released late on Wednesday that "the use of excessive military force in densely populated areas and the practice of house demolitions as a form of collective punishment is a clear violation of international law."
"The South African government joins the international community in calling on the Israeli government to immediately cease all military strikes and house demolitions that are contributing to an increasingly unstable environment," it added.
"What has been witnessed in the past week is clearly counterproductive to peace. Such acts as taken by the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) display an utter disregard for Palestinian lives and livelihood," it added.
The carnage in the Rafah refugee camp has prompted widespread international condemnation and led to Israel being censured overnight by the UN Security Council.
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