Johnathan Paoli
THE ruling party has welcomed reports of a pending cease-fire in Gaza to allow for more aid and fuel for civilians and the release of prisoners and hostages.
Luthuli House released a media statement on Wednesday, in which the party expressed its agreement with the rising wave of condemnation of the state of Israel’s violent operations in the region which have claimed more than 14,100 people, including 5,600 children, and forced about 1.7 million from their homes.
On Wednesday Israel approved a deal with Hamas that will see 50 Israeli women and children released in exchange for 150 jailed Palestinians and a lull in fighting.
The starting time for the four-day truce is expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours, according to a statement from Qatar, with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed who said he hoped the ceasefire would establish a comprehensive and sustainable agreement and put an end to the war and the bloodshed and lead to serious talks for a comprehensive and just peace process.
The Kremlin hailed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza as the “first good news for a long time” in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and said humanitarian pauses were the only way to build efforts for a sustainable settlement.
The Chinese foreign ministry expressed hopes that the move “will help alleviate the plight of the humanitarian crisis, promote the de-escalation of conflicts, and ease tensions.”
On Tuesday the National Assembly adopted an amended motion to close the Israeli Embassy until there is a cease-fire and a binding United Nations-facilitated peace process which is sustainable.
“The adopted motion is consistent with our long-held commitment by the ANC to stand with the people of occupied Palestine, as it is clear that the degenerating security situation is directly linked to unlawful Israeli occupation,” ANC spokesperson Bhengu-Motsiri said.
The ANC maintained that the ongoing conflict was not a religious war but a struggle by the legitimate right of a people to live along the pre-1967 borders in peaceful coexistence.
“It is about the right to land and an economy that has, over decades, been stripped away by force and against United Nations resolutions through enforced settler communities being imposed on Palestinian land,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
However, not all have welcomed the ceasefire with Oxfam GB’s head of policy and advocacy, Katy Chakrabortty, describing the deal as “a Band-Aid to a bleeding wound”, and calling for the international community to “start the hard work towards peace for all Israelis and Palestinians”.
Palestinian Liberation Organisation president Mahmoud Abbas and the leadership welcomed the truce and said that the region needed humanitarian aid, and the implementation of a political solution based on international legitimacy that leads to the end of the occupation and the achievement of the Palestinian people’s freedom, independence and sovereignty.
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