THE SA Communist Party (SACP) has condemned Israel’s deadly attacks against Palestinian settlements following the escalation of clashes between Hamas and the Israeli Defence Force on Wednesday.
At least 30 Palestinians, including 10 children, and three Israelis were killed as tensions in Jerusalem spread west toward the seacoast Tuesday.
Israeli airstrikes also flattened a multi-story apartment building in Gaza and rockets fired from the Gaza Strip reached Tel Aviv in an unusually far-reaching barrage that sent residents of Israel’s largest city scrambling into bomb shelters.
“The SACP strongly condemns Israel on its attack on Palestinians and its US-backed colonisation of Jerusalem, and calls upon the United Nations to exert extensive pressure on the Israeli regime to abandon its apartheid policy on Palestine,” said SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo.
“Apartheid, declared a crime against humanity by the United Nations, was bad for South Africa, and it is also bad for Palestine –though the measures being undertaken by Israeli regime appear to be even worse than those that were imposed in South Africa.”
He said the SACP stands in unconditional solidarity with the people of Palestine in their resilient fight against the Israeli-apartheid regime.
“We support all efforts across the world aimed at the strengthening of international solidarity, as well as democratic and peaceful activities in support of the oppressed Palestinian people. In continuation of its apartheid policy on Palestine, the Israeli regime continues with its plans to evict Palestinians from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.”
Following peaceful prayers by Palestinians at Al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend, Israeli forces attacked worshippers and also engaged on military air strikes in Gaza, destroying Palestinian lives and structures.
Over 36 Palestinians, including 12 children, have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza while hundreds have been seriously wounded.
“Every day, Israel demonstrates its intentions to destroy the lives of the Palestinian people and have absolute control over Palestinian land in its pursuit for its colonialist and imperialist agenda, backed by the US government,” said Mashilo.
“Successive Israeli apartheid regimes have relentlessly violated all international agreements on the resolution of the crisis it has imposed on the Palestinian people, additionally intensifying illegal construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.”
The SACP reiterated its support for the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders with a viable Palestinian state.
It also called for Israel to evacuate all occupied Palestinian land with immediate effect unconditionally.
- Inside Politics
