Mandla Mandela calls for Israel to be charged after Palestinian toddler dies

Mandla Mandela has called for “apartheid Israel” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be charged for state terrorism for the killing of two-year-old Palestinian Muhammad Tamimi.

Tamimi, who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, died from his wounds on Monday.

The toddler and his father, Haytham Tamimi, were hit by Israeli fire near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

Toddler shot

Middle East Eye reported the pair were in their parked car outside their home in Nabi Saleh village when they were shot.

Haytham was shot in the chest and taken to a hospital in Ramallah, while Muhammad suffered a gunshot wound to the head and evacuated to an Israeli hospital, where he remained on life support until he was pronounced dead.

The Israeli military said it mistook the toddler and his father for “Palestinian fighters”.

The grandson of South Africa’s late president Nelson Mandela said the passing of Tamimi was “another act of brutality”.

“This has come to represent the daily atrocities perpetrated by apartheid Israel against innocent Palestinians. Those responsible must be charged with his murder and Netanyahu, his regime and those who act in consort with them have the blood of this innocent child on their hands.”

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‘Netanyahu must be charged’

Mandela said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be charged.

“We are appalled by this level of inhumanity and the ongoing crimes against humanity and call for immediate charges to be brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu.

“Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and its continued expansion of illegal settlements in violation of international law is the cause of these acts of brutality, ethnic cleansing and systematic genocide,” said Mandela.

Justice

Mandela has called for justice for Tamimi and other Palestinian children that have lost their lives in the conflict.

“His death brings the number of children brutally killed by apartheid Israel in 2023 alone to almost 40 and the number of Palestinians killed by apartheid Israel to nearly 200. It is inconceivable that the UN Convention on the Rights of Children carries zero weight for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity.

“We will not rest until the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice,” added Mandela.

Mandela accused of being ‘inflammatory’

In response to Mandela, the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI) said his words are “inflammatory”.

“A minor was tragically caught in the crossfire when Palestinian gunmen (hiding in civilian areas) fought with Israeli defence forces. Sadly, Mandela fails to understand the context of Israel’s need to defend itself against Palestinian extremists who deliberately target innocent Israeli civilians against the backdrop of multiple Palestinian terror attacks this year,” said SAFI’s head of communications Bafana Modise.

SAFI said Mandela’s statement ignores the complexity of the conflict.

“He ignores the fact that a number of Israeli minors have also lost their lives to this war, and in some cases, Israeli families have had to bury their mothers and several siblings, following just one terrorist shooting attack,” said Modise.

He added that Mandela should instead try and “encourage Palestinians to choose a path towards peace”.

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