JOHANNESBURG | Xinhua | The South African government on Thursday condemned the “targeted assassination” of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas.
In a statement issued by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the government expressed its “heartfelt condolences” to the Haniyeh family and the leadership and people of Palestine.
Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence in the Iranian capital of Tehran was hit early Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said in a statement, adding the attack was under investigation and the results would be announced later. Israel has no comment on the incident yet.
“South Africa is concerned that the assassination of Dr. Haniyeh and the continuous targeting of civilians in Gaza will further spiral the already tense situation in the entire region,” the statement said. “South Africa urges that a thorough investigation be conducted and call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid any acts that would escalate tensions in the particularly fragile region.”
“Such acts of extrajudicial killings violate international law and the principles of human rights, undermining global efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” the statement quoted South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola as saying.
“No country is above the law and all nations must respect international law, particularly the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” he said.
South Africa also called for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, reiterating its view that “the international community must act immediately to bring to an end the genocide in Gaza, end impunity, end the aggression meted against Palestinians and end the illegal occupation by Israel.”
“Nothing can justify the deliberate killings and injuring of civilians as an entire population endures destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history,” read the statement. “Continuing Israeli occupation, destruction of infrastructure, collective punishment, and extrajudicial assassinations would make the realization of a peaceful solution in the Middle East much more difficult to achieve.”
Israel launched its offensive against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7 last year, following a surprise attack by Hamas militants in which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli offensive has killed more than 39,445 Palestinians in the coastal enclave and displaced approximately 2 million people. ■