South African President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday joined world leaders in expressing his country’s outrage at and condemnation of the bombings of the Lebanese town of Qana by Israel.
In a statement released by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad, Mbeki reiterated the call by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan for a ceasefire in the conflict.
Fifty-two people were killed, more than half of them children, in an Israeli air blitz on Qana on Sunday, triggering outrage around the world and warnings of retribution for Israel’s ”war crime”.
The South African government said there will be no ”military solution” to the problem in the Middle East. It called on the international community to do everything in its power to stop the fighting in the Middle East.
The African National Congress (ANC) also condemned the Israeli air strike. ”This latest atrocity on a civilian population demonstrates the urgency of an immediate ceasefire and the peaceful resolution of hostilities,” it said.
The ANC said it is gravely concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Lebanon. ”The ANC reiterates the call of its national executive committee [NEC] last weekend for a negotiated solution of the Israeli and Palestinian prisoner issue.”
It also called on the UN Security Council to discharge its responsibilities and act with urgency to enforce an immediate ceasefire. ”The UN, on the basis of its various resolutions, should seek a peaceful comprehensive solution for the violence,” the ANC said.
Ceasefire
Several other world leaders also condemned the Israeli attack, but the United States and Britain again refrained from joining calls for an immediate ceasefire.
France, China, Jordan, Egypt, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Nations were among many to say the attack on the village of Qana showed the need for an immediate end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
However, the US and British positions highlighted international divisions as the UN Security Council met to discuss the 19-day-old war.
”France condemns this unjustified action which demonstrates more than ever the need for an immediate ceasefire without which there will only be other such incidents,” French President Jacques Chirac’s office said in a statement.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao warned of ”an even greater disaster” if the fighting carried on. Egypt said in a statement it had summoned Israel’s ambassador to Cairo to express its ”severe anger” about the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed sorrow about the deaths, most of them children, but he said rocket attacks on Israel came from the area. He wants another 10 to 14 days to finish the offensive.
Hezbollah vowed to retaliate.
Lebanon says 750 people have been killed since the fighting began. Fifty-one Israelis have also been killed.
The US said Israel must avoid civilian casualties, but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. A White House statement said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Jerusalem, is working to arrange the conditions for a ”sustainable” ceasefire soon. A US official said she has had strong words with Olmert.
”We are making clear to the Israelis our distress at this,” said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the fighting must stop once a UN resolution has been passed.
Protests
In Beirut, several thousand protesters chanted ”Death to Israel, Death to America” outside the UN offices and some smashed their way into the building.
Several hundred protesters, some carrying banners calling for ”Freedom for Palestine and Lebanon”, gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square.
In Paris, several hundred protesters gathered at the Trocadero Palace, some chanting ”The Israelis are terrorists” and ”Where is the United Nations?”.
”It’s a real catastrophe and it doesn’t seem as though anyone wants to do anything to stop it,” said Taneos Chahine (51), a Lebanese Christian who has been living in France for 16 years. ”The Americans, in particular, just seem happy to let it go on.”
The US faces criticism around the world for refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire and for seeming to give Israel the green light to continue its attacks. Israel and the US want to ensure Hezbollah is eventually disarmed under a UN resolution.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said France and the US agree on this aim but added there are ”deep divisions” between the countries, which fell out over the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, over how to achieve it.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged an emergency meeting of the Security Council to condemn the attack and call for an immediate end to hostilities.
The council could issue a statement later on the attack, but a resolution drafted by France — calling for an immediate end to fighting, outlining conditions for a permanent ceasefire and an international force in south Lebanon — will not be considered until later in the week.
SA support
South Africa will support any UN effort to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, Mbeki said on Sunday. ”An essential element is that we end the hostilities now and then we could deal with the other issues later.”
Briefing the media after the mid-year Cabinet lekgotla (meeting), Mbeki said the Cabinet is concerned that all the attention has been shifted from Palestine to Lebanon. ”This matter of Palestine should not come off the street because there is the focus on Lebanon. The focus is important but … Palestine is the epicentre of many of the conflicts taking place in the Middle East.”
Mbeki said South Africa will give humanitarian aid in Lebanon once it is ascertained what is needed. South Africa will also watch deliberations in the UN Security Council on the issue.
”We’ll watch any moves at the Security Council … If we see — as a consequence of the council process — it is necessary for us to intervene, we would,” Mbeki said. — Reuters, Sapa