South African civil society organisations are intensifying their campaigns in support of Palestine, spurred by what they describe as a worsening humanitarian catastrophe and international “complicity” in the ongoing genocide.
This comes as the death toll in Gaza continues to climb, with recent reports of dozens killed while seeking aid, and a growing consensus among international legal experts and human rights bodies that Israeli actions may constitute genocide.
Naazim Adam, coordinator for the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), articulated the sentiment of many local activists, linking the Palestinian cause directly to South Africa’s history. Drawing on Nelson Mandela’s statement that South Africa’s freedom is “interlocked with the freedom of the Palestinians,” Adam emphasised that the struggle against what he terms “settler colonialism” is a shared one.
The PSA held a strategic workshop in Tshwane on Saturday, 19 July, bringing together various political, religious, and social movements. The meeting aimed to coordinate efforts, empower grassroots boycott movements and plan collective campaigns.
Adam stressed the need to move beyond social media scrolling and engage in active measures, including boycotts, protests, research to counter propaganda, and pressuring the South African government to impose full sanctions on Israel, including halting coal and oil exports.
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This call to action is set against a grim backdrop in Gaza. On Sunday, 20 July, at least 67 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid trucks in northern Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry. The incident is one of several recent attacks on desperate civilians seeking food.
The humanitarian situation has been described as catastrophic, with the United Nations and other aid agencies warning of accelerating starvation. The death of a four-year-old girl, Razan Abu Zaher, from malnutrition on Sunday has highlighted the severe food crisis, which aid agencies attribute to Israel’s throttling of the food supply.
The term ‘genocide’ is increasingly being used by international bodies to describe the situation. A UN expert recently condemned what she termed a “femi-genocide” in Gaza, citing deliberate violence against women and girls. This follows a growing number of legal scholars, human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and academics who argue that Israel’s actions — including the siege, widespread destruction and killings — meet the criteria for genocide under international law.
Adam noted that the “satanic evil nature” of the Israeli military’s actions is enabled by the “complicity of world leaders.” He urged South Africans to support the government’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and to hold corporations and complicit states, such as the United Arab Emirates, accountable for their role in the genocide.
Image: Palestinians gather to collect aid supplies in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on July 20, 2025. [Dawoud Abu Alkas, Reuters]
