Cape Town - Some of South Africa’s most notable figures in defence of human rights and humanitarian work, have called for more to be done in the face of the current onslaught in Gaza, Palestine.
A panel discussion at the Desmond and Leah Tutu House yesterday included Gift of the Givers (GoTG) founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, retired Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs, and traditional leader and human rights activist Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela.
Joining virtually was intensive care paediatrician and co-founder of Gaza Medic Voices, Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, and reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth. Moderating the discussion was Tutu IP Trust chairperson Dr Mamphela Ramphele and Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation CEO Janet Jobson.
Haj-Hassan has worked in Gaza and the West Bank for more than 10 years and was last in Gaza in March.
“What I witnessed there was nothing short of a genocide” she said.
“Every single hospital has been targeted, either through deprivation of resources, direct besiegement, and direct shelling and bombing, she said.
More than 500 health-care workers have been killed and over 240 abducted and detained by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) since October, Haj-Hassan said. Those who have been released provided testimonies of physical, psychological, and sexual torture and abuse, she said.
There was photo evidence of MRI machines, CT scanners and ultrasound machines intentionally being destroyed by the IDF.
“These machines are not a threat to security, they are a threat to the preservation of life and health for the Gazan population.”
“When I was there, I saw scores of children come in dead, gasping, maimed, dismembered, burnt to the extent that they were unrecognisable.”
Gaza has the largest population of child amputees currently, with over 17000 children who had one or both parents killed by the IDF since October.
Sooliman said GoTG team members had 175 family members killed; its Gaza office head Ahmed Abbasi was deliberately targeted and killed by the IDF.
Sooliman questioned the purpose of the UN Security Council, and called for the AU to disengage from the UN.
“I think we need a new body, driven by the global south, a body that will challenge imperialism, colonialism, white supremacy, every type of crime and chaos committed in the world by western nations. It's time to stop that and I think South Africa with the right type of government can do that. A government that is not compromised by political parties that support Israel.”
Mandela called for the South African embassy in Tel Aviv to be shut down.
“The only embassy we are interested in maintaining as South Africans is in Ramallah … We do not welcome the Zionist embassy in Pretoria, we are calling for it to be immediately shut down and the Zionist ambassador expelled from South Africa.”
He said El Al Israel Airlines should be barred and trade between South Africa and Israel ended.
He said 149 cases of South Africans serving in the IDF were presented to the ministry, but there have been not a single arrest.
Sachs expressed openness to being an intermediary to settle the conflict.
Cape Argus