South Africa concerned about killing of Gaza civilians
July 11, 2014, 7:33 pm

At least 105 Palestinians have been killed and 795 injured in four days of aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip [Xinhua]

In a statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African government noted especially the vulnerable groups – old men, women and children and the destruction of property.

“Israeli bombardments have led to the destruction of homes in Gaza and innocent civilians being killed in these air strikes,” the statement said.

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that the four-day death toll from Israel’s aerial assaults – titled Operation Protective Raid – has now reached 105, with an additional 785 wounded. Dozens of women and children are among the dead and injured.

The Israeli military said it had launched strikes against more than 1,100 alleged rocket-launching targets; there have been more than 550 homemade rockets fired into Israel, with some reaching the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Israeli says it’s anti-missile defense system was able to shoot down 110 of the homemade rockets which were deemed threatening.

The South African government says it is also concerned about the increasing number of rockets targeted at Israeli cities – “with some reaching as far north as Haifa putting innocent civilians at risk”.

But the statement warned that a possible Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip “will certainly throw the situation completely out of control”.

South Africa joined the Permanent Members of the Security Council in strongly urging both the Israelis and Palestinians to exercise restraint and not respond to violence with violence.

The South African government also called for a halt to the arbitrary arrest of Palestinian civilians and the use of collective punishment on Palestinians.

“The lasting solution to the Middle East problem lies in serious and genuine negotiations involving all parties,” the statement said.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday dismissed international criticism of his government’s Gaza operation.

“I will end it when our goals are realized. And the overriding goal is to restore the peace and quiet,” Netanyahu told local media.

Tel Aviv on Monday night launched a series of aerial assaults on Gaza in an operation called Protective Raid in response to what its military said were dozens of homemade rockets fired by Palestinian fighters into Israeli territory.

But Palestinian armed groups in Gaza blamed Israel for the latest escalation, saying that it had killed seven of their fighters and that they were firing homemade rockets in retaliation.

“Al-Qassam Brigades strike the Israeli towns of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Netivot by dozens of rockets in response to the Zionist aggression,” a statement from Hamas’ armed wing said.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies