AFP AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday
SOUTH Africa has slammed Israel for what it calls the “excessive and disproportionate use of force” which has seen 56 people die in clashes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel since last week.
Israel and the Palestinians agreed early today to observe a ceasefire following five days of deadly clashes in the Palestinian territories. Earlier, fierce gun battles had continued throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army has also admitted that it could have fired the shot that killed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza, whose death was caught on film and has shocked television audiences round the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced that he has set up a committee to deal with the Arab sector after violence spread into the Jewish state.
In a statement, the South African government called on the Israeli government to “act in accordance with its stated desire to achieve peace and to restrain those elements who seem intent on scoring political points and provoking the anger and resentment of Palestinians.”
The outbreak of violence was sparked by a visit last week by Ariel Sharon, the leader of the hard-line opposition Likud party, to the Haram al-Sharif or Temple Mount – a Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews.
The government also called on Israel to cease its measures of collective punishment against Palestinians, to restore the sanctity of the Haramal-Sharif/Temple Mount and to allow free access to it by Muslim worshippers.
The South African government said it believed that the leadership of Israel and Palestine were still committed to reaching a peaceful settlement and reiterated its support for the continuation of peace negotiations.