Pretoria: South Africa has welcomed the latest report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stating it reaffirms previous findings that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The report documents the devastating impact of the conflict on Palestinian children.
According to South African Government News Agency, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya addressed a media briefing, highlighting the report published on 23 June 2026. It details widespread violations committed against Palestinian children and reinforces concerns South Africa initially raised before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023.
Magwenya noted that the commission found "a clear pattern of conduct," wherein Israeli forces directly targeted Palestinian children, causing severe physical and psychological harm through bombings, shootings, collapsing buildings, and the denial of medical care, food, and water.
The commission further concluded that Israel created "living conditions fundamentally incompatible with the physical growth and intellectual development of children," while systematically restricting healthcare for newborns and attacking Palestinian education.
Magwenya stated that the findings confirm concerns South Africa raised in its ICJ application. He emphasized that despite provisional measures and advisory opinions from the ICJ, little has changed on the ground.
Instead of allowing large-scale aid, Magwenya said Israel forced humanitarian organizations and human rights defenders to halt or reduce their work in the occupied Palestinian territory through "sustained harassment, threats, bans, sanctions and attacks on their reputations," leaving Palestinian children "even less protected."
Magwenya affirmed that South Africa would continue pursuing legal and diplomatic avenues to support Palestinian self-determination and civilian protection, drawing parallels with the children of Soweto in 1976 who confronted injustice with bravery.
He emphasized that meaningful healing cannot occur amid ongoing conflict and expressed hope that the report would galvanize greater international action. Magwenya urged for a broader movement of solidarity, inspired by the horrific practices outlined in the Commission of Inquiry's report.