United Nations, New York – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered one of the strongest rebukes of Israel’s Gaza campaign during the 80th UN General Assembly, accusing Israel of genocide and urging urgent steps toward a sovereign Palestinian state.
Speaking at a special high-level session on the two-state solution, Ramaphosa said Israel’s military actions amounted to “grave war crimes” and called on the International Court of Justice to formally rule that genocide was being committed in Gaza. He warned that continued settlement expansion and annexation efforts were erasing the possibility of peace.
Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa’s backing of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital. He urged world leaders to recognize Palestinian statehood and “act decisively” to ensure international law and UN resolutions are respected.
The South African leader listed urgent measures including a ceasefire, the release of hostages and political prisoners, the dismantling of illegal settlements and the separation barrier, and full humanitarian access to Gaza. He said millions of Palestinians face “acute starvation” and accused the international community of failing its moral duty.
“Ending the violence, ending the genocide, and recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people are not optional,” Ramaphosa declared. “They are obligations if the United Nations is to retain its relevance.”
His remarks underline Pretoria’s dual strategy of pressing its genocide case against Israel at the ICJ while campaigning for broader recognition of Palestine. The speech drew support from states sympathetic to Palestinian aspirations but is likely to further strain South Africa’s already tense relations with Israel.