Johannesburg,South Africa

Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) has confirmed that approached the National Prosecuting Authority and Department of Defence pertaining to the South African young man serving in Gaza on behalf of Israel to be investigated and prosecuted for breaking the law.

EFF's reactions followed a disturbing news of Aaron Bayhack a 22-year-old from Sandton,Johannesburg who was identified as a sniper in the Israeli Occupation Forces(IOF) in Gaza by Al Jazeera's documentary "The Ghost Unit".

EFF said Bayhack is reportedly part of a brutal team that targets unarmed civilians with live ammunition in and around hospitals under siege in Gaza.These indiscriminate attacks included the wounded,men,women,and children-firing mercilessly at those already suffering in a genocide and humanitarian crisis.

EFF maintained that Palestine has been under Israeli occupation for over 76 years,enduring an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing campaign that has intensified over the past year.More than 100,000 Palestinians have been killed,with many still unaccounted for.Israel has waged war through relentless bombings,starvation,and the systematic destruction of homes,schools and hospitals.

The Al Jazeera's documentary revealed that snipers like Bayhack have been targeting civilians with impunity because Israel's genocide in Gaza is supported by countries such as United States,Germany,United Kingdom,France and the European Union.

Over the past few months,it was reported that Israel forces are applying sexual assaults on Palestinians prisoners and steal belongings of the Palestinians and all that has been circulating on social media sites such as Facebook,Instagram and X(formerly Twitter).

According to EFF,in terms of the Regulation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act,1998(Act No. 15 of 1998),any person wishing to render foreign military assistance in Israel must first apply to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee(NCACC) who will make a recommendation to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans that such an application to be granted or refused.

EFF wants to know if that Bayhack was authorised to serve in the Israeli forces and if not why he is not prosecuted or his citizenship not stripped.

The party's statement said that the EFF will,therefore,determine whether Bayhack served in the IOF with permission from the Department of Defence and if not,why he has not been prosecuted and stripped of citizenship as stated would happen by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Naledi Pandor.If Bayhack had clearance,it would be an even more grave contravention of domestic and international law,and our foreign policy with regard to Palestine and the ongoing genocide.

The party emphasised that will be bad decision to allow a ruthless man like Bayhack to go unpunished because people who sympathises with Palestinians would be in danger.

"We cannot,as country,feel safe when fellow citizens who have no qualms about killing other human beings,have documented their crimes and continue to live among us without any consequences.South Africa is already a very violent country.Today,it's Palestinians,tomorrow it shall be a South African for being a woman,black,Muslim,wearing a keffiyeh or picking an orange from someone's yard,and then the President will make statements telling the country that he is 'shocked' and yet do nothing to protect us from these genocidaires,"the EFF said.

Pertaining Israel war in Gaza,next week the South African government is expected to present its compelling evidence before the judges of the International Court of Justice(ICJ) in the Hague,Netherlands,because approached the court last year requesting it to stop Israel for killing civilians in the Gaza Strip using bombs,starvation,water deprivation and collapsing of the health system.