Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, which now controls the Gaza Strip, launched a major assault dubbed Operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” on Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in casualties and hostage situations. Approximately 1,200 Israelis lost their lives in the Hamas onslaught with another 2,900 injured. The Israeli military also asserts that over 200 soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were taken hostage and sent to Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military air and artillery strikes dubbed “Operation Swords of Iron”, in response to the Hamas strike.
Carving the nation Israel out of Palestine
The historical backdrop of the decades-old conflict unveils a complex narrative, from the Balfour Declaration – a promise made by then-Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Britain’s Jewish community to create a nation for Jews – to the creation of Israel, wars, and ongoing conflicts.
Post-World War I, Britain assumed control of Palestine after the downfall of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. The region boasted a diverse population, with a Jewish minority, an Arab majority, and other smaller ethnic groups. Tensions flared as the UK was tasked by the international community to establish a “national home” for Jewish people in Palestine, a mandate originating from the 1917 Balfour Declaration. This declaration, expressing British support for a Jewish homeland, was incorporated into the British mandate over Palestine, gaining endorsement from the League of Nations in 1922. The conflicting claims to the land intensified, with Jews considering Palestine their ancestral home while Palestinian Arabs vehemently opposed the establishment.
The Gaza Strip, a focal point of tension, is a densely populated area home to some 2.3 million people, mostly Palestinian refugees. It has a tumultuous past of occupations and withdrawals. The core disputes between Israelis and Palestinians encompass refugee status, settlements, Jerusalem, and the elusive prospect of a Palestinian state.
Peace attempts
Secret talks in Norway led to the Oslo Accords, which culminated in a peace pact and handshake between Yitzhak Rabin, the then-Israeli Prime Minister and Yasser Arafat, the late political leader of Palestine, on the White House lawn in 1993 presided over by President Bill Clinton. As a result, the Palestinians, for the first time in history, recognised the State of Israel; and Israel, in return, recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, leading to the formation of a self-governing Palestinian Authority. The Oslo Accords, however, hit a snag.
Also, a roadmap by world powers in the early 2000s for a two-state solution: Israel and Palestine co-existing side by side as two separate sovereigns within the same region, was never implemented. And then came US President Donald Trump’s solution: the “Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People”, which was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the “deal of the century,” but rejected by the Palestinians as one-sided. The proposal outlined a plan involving Palestinian enclaves encircled by an expanded Israel. It dismissed the idea of a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and suggested siting it on the outskirts of the city instead. The designated areas for the Palestinian capital have been characterised as “challenging neighbourhoods” and are divided from Jerusalem by the Israeli West Bank barrier.
The current conflict between Israel and Gaza stems from Hamas’s control of the region, their commitment to Israel’s destruction, and longstanding grievances, leading to a deadly cycle of violence.
Global reactions to the conflict vary, with the U.S. and Western countries condemning Hamas, while Russia and China maintain contact with both sides. Iran, a key supporter of Hamas, faces scrutiny over its alleged role in the recent escalation.
The situation remains complex, with historical, geopolitical, and ideological dimensions contributing to the ongoing strife.
Africa’s reaction
Despite the war being several thousands of miles away from Africa, the shocks and aftershocks could be felt on the continent. To start with, two Africans, Tanzanians, were among the victims of Hamas’s surprise insurgency. Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the country “mourns” with the families of Israelis and Palestinians who lost their lives in the resurgent war, adding: “We condemn all forms of violence”. Tanzania then called for “restraint to stem further loss of human life.” African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also expressed “utmost concern” at the war which, he notes, had “grave consequences” for the lives of Israeli and Palestinian people. He noted that “the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.” While expressing “deep concern” and condemning the “attacks against civilians wherever they may be”, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council at the headquarters in Cairo. At the extraordinary session of the meeting, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, stressed his country’s “full and unwavering support” backing for Palestine, describing the political deadlock over the Palestinian issue as a “persistence of systematic violations and oppressive unilateral measures in Al-Quds and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” Further support for Palestine echoed from Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in a statement, condemned the Israeli incursion, noting “with deep concern, the escalation of barbaric Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has cost the lives of dozens of innocent children of the Palestinian people, who have fallen as martyrs to the stubbornness of the Zionist occupation in its policy of oppression and persecution imposed on the valiant Palestinian people”. Tunisia also joined the fray with citizens pouring out on the street in multiple protests against Israel’s response. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt also professed his country’s “unwavering support” for the Palestinians in mid-October. Palestine’s other African friends include Chad, Djibouti, and Sudan.
In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government, which staunchly supports Palestine, in a statement, indicated there was a “desperate need for a credible peace process”, saying it “seeks to ensure a lasting and durable peace that produces a viable, contiguous Palestinian State, existing side-by-side in peace with Israel, within the 1967 internationally recognised borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.” in a statement issued by the government. Mr Ramaphosa said: “South Africa stands ready to work with the international community and to share our experience in mediation and conflict resolution as we have done on the continent and around the world.” Subsequently, South Africa filed a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice based in The Hague, the Netherlands. The ICJ settles disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. Though it lacks prosecutorial powers, its opinions carry weight with the UN and other international legal bodies. The presidency said South Africa was obliged “to prevent genocide from occurring”.
According to the 84-page document, the “acts and omissions by Israel” are “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group”. Hamas singled out the government of South Africa for dragging Israel to the topmost UN court.
In a televised address on Tuesday, 2 January 2024, the chief of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh said: “I applaud all the positions of support and especially the state of South Africa, which filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice against the occupying state for its crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide, and we appreciate the political and legal importance of this lawsuit.” Israel has, however, parried South Africa’s claim. Spokesman Eylon Levy hit back at South Africa, saying: “History will judge you [South Africa], and it will judge you without mercy,” and indicated that the Jewish state intended to fight the case “to dispel South Africa’s absurd blood libel” – a term used to describe false allegations against Jewish communities of bloodletting, originating in Europe in the Middle Ages. Adding weight to the rebuttal, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu angrily rejected South Africa’s accusations, saying: “No, South Africa, it is not we who have come to perpetrate genocide, it is Hamas. It would murder all of us if it could. In contrast, the IDF [Israeli army] is acting as morally as possible.” Israel is already facing investigation by the ICJ for “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of… Palestinian territory”. That case was initiated by the Palestinians.
Some of Israel’s friends in Africa have also spoken out against Hamas. Kenya’s President William Ruto, “unequivocally” condemned the Hamas incursion while pledging support for Israel. “In consideration of the complex and delicate context of the security situation in Israel-Palestine, Kenya also makes a call for the de-escalation of violence,” said Ruto. “Kenya joins the rest of the world in solidarity with the State of Israel and unequivocally condemns terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians in the country,” wrote President William Ruto on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October. Ruto was in good company with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who, during a trip to Washington, said the country, “like all civilised countries, is firm in her support of Israel”.
Also, President Paul Biya of Cameroon, in a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, expressed “sincere condolences” to Israel, describing the Jewish state as a victim of the “Islamic Palestinian militant group Hamas”. Israel’s other African friends include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Zambia. Some of these countries have either benefitted or are benefitting from Israel’s advanced defence technology or agricultural prowess, of which it is a global leader.
In Rwanda, for example, Israel’s Gigawatt Global developed the first utility-scale solar photovoltaic facility in East Africa in 2015. In Cameroon, Israeli-based NUFiltration installed water decontamination systems in 2018.
There are, however, some neutrals on the matter. For instance, “Deeply concerned” Nigeria, has called for a “de-escalation and ceasefire” through dialogue, adding: “The cycle of violence … only serves to perpetuate an unending cycle of pain and suffering for the civilian population that bears the brunt of every conflict.” Also, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has spoken in favour of the “two-state solution”.
Ties with Africa Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in February 2016, expressed the rekindling of ties between Israel and Africa, stating, “Israel is coming back to Africa, and Africa is returning to Israel” during a Jerusalem state visit by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. However, Israel’s connections with Africa trace back to the late 1950s and 1960s, marked by a vigorous diplomatic campaign led by then-Foreign Minister Golda Meir. By the end of the decade, Meir had successfully established robust diplomatic relations with at least 30 African countries, a move purportedly aligned with supporting the anti-colonial movement prevalent on the continent. Meir acknowledged that the initiative also aimed at garnering votes at the United Nations. Presently, Israel maintains embassies and consulates in 12 African countries, with recognition of Israel’s statehood by 44 AU member states. The State of Palestine, on the other hand, has missions in 26 African countries.
