South African minister, Ronald Lamola, at the ICJ today! 🇿🇦🇵🇸
“The violence and the destruction in Palestine in Israel did not begin on October 7, 2023. The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years. On October 6, 2023, and every day since October 7, 2023, in the Gaza Strip, at least since 2004 -Israel continues to exercise control over the air space, territorial waters, then crossing, water, electricity, and civilian infrastructure. As well as over key government functions. No armed attack on the staged territory, no matter how serious -even an attack involving atrocity crimes -can provide any justification for or defense to breaches to the Convention, whether as a matter of law or mortality. Israel's response to October 7, 2023 attack, has crossed this line and give rise to the breaches of the Convention."
