By Ragheema Mclean
The South African government has voiced deep concern over the alarming rise in assassinations and bombings in Lebanon, which have claimed the lives of hundreds, and left thousands injured.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) strongly condemned the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other prominent figures amidst the escalating violence in the region.
The Israeli military confirmed it had killed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday.
Nasrallah, who led the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah for more than three decades, is by far the most powerful target to be killed by Israel in weeks of intensified attacks.
“These attacks have resulted in numerous fatalities, including those from vulnerable groups, and have left hundreds in critical condition and thousands injured. The scale of injuries caused by these indiscriminate explosions is deeply troubling and warrants strong condemnation from the international community. Such attacks on civilians constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law,” said the department.
Furthermore, South Africa has called for immediate accountability and urged the global community to act decisively in preventing further violence.
The government reaffirmed its solidarity with Lebanon and expressed readiness to support the country in the wake of the devastating attacks.
According to the United Nations, over 211,000 people from southern Lebanon have been displaced as the violence intensifies, with many forced to flee their homes. Additionally, at least 20 primary healthcare centres in the hardest-hit areas have shut down, severely affecting the ability to provide medical care to those in need, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“South Africa urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire and adherence to international law to prevent a major regional military conflagration, which would have devastating consequences for all countries involved,” Dirco stated.
VOC News
Photo: @QudsNen/X
