The South African government has provided an update on its plan to evacuate about 16 South Africans who are currently stranded in the Gaza area amid the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Zane Dangor, the director general of the national Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), stated that there is currently no movement on the evacuation process.
Dangor explained that the South Africans in need of evacuation are on the United Nations list and part of the UN evacuation strategy. However, due to the volatile situation in Gaza, it is currently not possible to move any of the individuals who want to be evacuated.
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Dirco is working closely with its missions in Ramallah and Tel Aviv to provide consular services to South Africans in the region and ensure their safety.
There is one individual who is currently on the Israeli side and requires both South African and Israeli documents. Efforts are being made to resolve this issue.
Tragically, at least two South Africans have already lost their lives in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela confirmed that these individuals perished in the turmoil that has engulfed Gaza in recent days.
Aside from the immediate concern of evacuating South Africans, Dirco has also condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. The department stated that Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which includes cutting off water, electricity, and fuel supplies, is a violation of international law.
The dire situation on the ground has been further exacerbated by Israel’s call for 1.1 million people to relocate from northern Gaza to southern Gaza, a move that is predicted to result in a humanitarian crisis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and several aid agencies have called on Israel to end the siege of Gaza. Dirco echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Israel’s actions are in conflict with international law and the Geneva Conventions.
