South Africa warns its citizens fighting alongside Israeli army in Gaza

WORLD, Dec. 19 (YPA) – The South African government has threatened to prosecute its citizens who join the Israeli military and fight alongside its soldiers in Gaza, as the country’s president described the conflict as “genocide”.

“The South African government is gravely concerned by reports that some South African citizens and permanent residents have joined or are considering joining the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the war in Gaza and the other occupied Palestinian territories,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Monday.

Such action, the department said, can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, making them liable for prosecution in South Africa.

It did not specify how many South Africans could have been recruited, and the government said earlier that the state security apparatus was tracking them.

E.M