People hold placards and Palestinian flags while protesting outside the offices of Glencore Coal in Sandton, Johannesburg on August 22, 2024.SHIRAAZ MOHAMED/AFP/Getty Images
The federal government is pushing Israel to accept the emergency orders of the International Court of Justice on preventing genocide in Gaza, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says.
At the same time, Canada is asking South Africa to use its connections in Iran and Hamas to push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Ms. Joly told The Globe and Mail in an interview on Thursday.
Ms. Joly made the comments after a meeting this week with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who is lobbying for Canadian support on the enforcement of the international court’s orders on Israel.
International Court of Justice orders Israel to halt its Rafah offensive
The court, based in The Hague, has issued a series of orders this year – known as provisional measures – that require Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah and to take other steps, including providing humanitarian assistance, to prevent genocide in Gaza.
“I think all parties need to ensure that the provisional measures are in place, and we are definitely pushing Israel,” Ms. Joly told The Globe.
South Africa, which launched the court case after alleging that a genocide is under way in the Palestinian territory, has accused Israel of violating the court’s orders. Israel has denounced the South African court application, calling it “false, outrageous and morally repugnant.”
Israel must take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, ICJ orders in historic ruling
The war began after Hamas launched a raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli estimates.
Mr. Lamola, who met Ms. Joly in Pretoria on Wednesday, told the Canadian minister that he is asking “people of conscience around the world” to speak out on the international court’s rulings and its emergency orders.
“We need the support of Canada and other countries with influence to ensure adherence to the provisional measures and the existing UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestine matter,” he told Ms. Joly at the beginning of their meeting.
“South Africa’s own experiences of egregious violations of human rights under apartheid compelled us to approach the International Court of Justice regarding the situation in Gaza,” he said.
Israel’s military assault in Gaza “offends our sense of humanity and solidarity with an oppressed and occupied people who are fighting for self-determination,” Mr. Lamola said. “While we welcome the ruling made by the court, we remain deeply disappointed that Israel continues to blatantly disrespect the provisional measures ordered by the court.”
In her meeting with her South African counterpart, Ms. Joly responded by saying that Canada respects the independence of the international court.
Joly heads to Africa as Canada revives a long-stalled strategy
In the interview later with The Globe, she said her urgent priority is to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas – and she hopes South Africa can help with that goal.
“We have no contact whatsoever with Hamas because it is a terrorist organization under Canadian law, and so that’s why we hope South Africa can push Hamas,” she said.
“That’s why I spoke to him about it. They have channels of communication that we don’t have – with Hamas, with Iran.”
South African officials, including former foreign minister Naledi Pandor, have confirmed that they have had telephone conversations with Hamas leaders since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7, but they said the conversations were only aimed at securing humanitarian relief for Gaza.
South Africa also has warm relations with Iran. Last October, two weeks after the Gaza war began, Ms. Pandor visited Iran and discussed Palestinian issues with Iranian leaders.
On another Gaza-related issue, Ms. Joly said her government has halted Canadian arms sales to Israel and will continue to do so. She denied media reports that a Quebec-based company is selling US$61-million in mortar munitions to the United States that will be included in a planned arms transfer to Israel.