Lerato Mbiza
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the international community to shift its focus towards reviving the Israel-Palestine peace talks saying more energy and focus should be directed at bringing the warring factions to the negotiating table.
Ramaphosa was speaking during the Cairo Peace Summit in Egypt on Sunday, convened to deal with the crisis that is unfolding in Gaza where thousands of people have died and millions displaced since the 7 October attack by Hamas and subsequent retaliatory strikes by the Israeli Defence Force.
Rather than work towards a peaceful solution, the United States of America and the UK are some of the big countries that have sent military support to Israel over the past two weeks.
Ramaphosa decried the escalation of the conflict by those arming either of the warring parties and called on state actors to immediately stop the provision of weapons as it undermines the promise of peace.
“The fighting must end. Israel must stop its siege and shelling of Gaza. Hamas must stop launching rockets into Israel. Hostages must be returned. We must discourage any action that fuels this conflict and threatens to engulf the entire region. Humanitarian corridors must be opened to alleviate human suffering,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said influential countries like the United States of America, have a duty and a responsibility to support processes that will deliver a long lasting and durable peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
“The international community cannot afford to squander the opportunity that has been presented by the current conflict to decisively push for a two state solution.
“There is unanimity across the globe that peace is viable when a free and independent state of Palestine exists alongside a secure state of Israel,” said Ramaphosa.
The United Nations has called the situation in Gaza a humanitarian crisis as millions of Palestinians are without food, water or electricity.
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has opened to let a small amount of desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians running short of food, medicine and water in the territory that has been subjected to shelling and bombardment from the Israeli army.
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