A 22-year-old man from Sandton is facing serious allegations of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. In a damning documentary produced by Al Jazeera, Aaron Bayhack is identified as a member of an elite Israeli sniper unit implicated in the killing of civilians in Khan Younis and Gaza City.
According to Al Jazeera, Bayhack was part of the 202 paratrooper battalion, which comprises approximately 18 members from various countries, including one individual from Somalia. The documentary claims that Bayhack and his unit fired recklessly at civilians—men, women, children, the elderly, and the injured—near hospitals under siege in Gaza.
Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Red Crescent Society, commented, “Israeli snipers directly targeted Al-Quds hospital with live ammunition.”
A woman who survived an attack on a hospital recounted her harrowing experience to Al Jazeera, stating, “As we were dying, we saw death itself. We have nowhere else to go. Where shall we go?”
In 2023, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) expressed grave concerns regarding allegations that certain South African citizens and permanent residents were contemplating joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). They warned that such actions could violate international law and expose individuals to prosecution.
“Any person wishing to provide foreign military assistance in Israel must first apply to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC). Anyone joining the IDF without proper authorization is breaking the law and may face prosecution,” DIRCO stated.
The South African Citizenship Act of 1995 also notes that individuals who acquired South African citizenship through naturalization may lose their citizenship if they engage in a war that the Republic does not endorse.
The documentary features footage shot by the snipers themselves, depicting the deaths of numerous individuals who appear to be walking unarmed. One member of the battalion stated that there is an unwritten rule regarding the Palestinians: anyone within his line of sight would be shot. He also claimed that anyone of military age seen near the bombardment is considered a terrorist.
“Gaza is like Sodom. The people living there are akin to the Amalek, who represent the archetypal enemy in Jewish culture. That population truly resembles the Amalek,” he said.
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