South Africa says citizens fighting for Israel to face prosecution, citizenship revocation

The South African government has warned its citizens who are fighting for Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip could face prosecution at home, as President Cyril Ramaphosa once again denounced the Israeli aggression as "genocide."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria said it was "gravely concerned" by reports that some South African nationals had joined the Israeli military to fight in Gaza or are considering doing so.

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

The South African government has warned its citizens who are fighting in the Israeli military against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip that they may face prosecution and have their citizenship revoked.

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It did not specify how many South Africans are thought to have enlisted. The government has previously said the State Security Agency (SSA) was tracking them down.

The authorities stressed the ministry is monitoring such citizens.

South Africans need prior government approval to legally fight in Israel, the ministry said.

Naturalized citizens are at further risk of being stripped of their South African nationality for engaging in a war that the country "does not support or agree with," the foreign ministry added.

“The South African Citizenship Act, 1995 (Act No. 88 of 1995) provides that any person who obtained South African citizenship by naturalization in terms of that Act shall cease to be a South African citizen if he or she engages under the flag of another country in a war that the Republic does not support or agree with,” added the ministry.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, meanwhile, has once again strongly denounced the Israeli aggression on the besieged Palestinian territory, describing it as genocide.

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Moreover, Ramaphosa has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct an immediate investigation into the war crimes committed by Israel in the besieged strip.

The president said South Africa has submitted the necessary documents to the ICC regarding Israeli war crimes, and that it is waiting for the court to take action regarding the investigation. The ICC, he pointed out, has the authority to indict those responsible for war crimes committed in Palestine.

South Africa earlier said it was in the process of submitting a petition to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand that Israel be declared an "apartheid state."

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Last month, South Africa’s Parliament voted on a non-binding resolution to close the Israeli Embassy in the country and sever diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv until the regime agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed about 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 52,286 others.

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Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.

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