Gaza ceasefire: South Africa, Egypt welcome deal

South Africa and Egypt have welcomed a deal on the Gaza Strip ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was reached after more than a year of negotiations.

“I welcome the ceasefire agreement in Gaza after over a year of strenuous efforts, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on social media.

He emphasized the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“This agreement highlights the importance of quickly providing critical aid to the people of Gaza to address the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, without any obstacles, until a sustainable peace is achieved through a two-state solution,” he said

Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting a just peace, remaining a steadfast partner in achieving it, and defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

'Lasting peace'

In a statement, South Africa's foreign ministry called for "implementation of a just and lasting peace that ensures the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis".

“The ceasefire agreement is a crucial first step towards ending the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has deemed to be plausibly genocidal,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said.

The announcement of the ceasefire came on day 467 of Israel's genocide against Gaza, which with US backing has caused more than 156,000 casualties, most of them women and children.​​​​​​​

The war has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters in recent times.

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