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Amid the current political chaos and tension, South Africa celebrates a minor but significant victory as Palestinian students who arrived from Gaza earlier this year to complete their studies have graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Recently, the phrase ‘Free Palestine’ has gained immense traction, as the international community rallied behind the people of Palestine to speak out and advocate for their liberation against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The genocide is not a new one, as it dates back to the 19th century, marked by the inception of the Zionist movement for a religious homeland in Palestine.

October 2023 saw an escalation in retaliation when Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched a large-scale attack on Israel. In return, Israel launched an extensive military campaign called ‘Operation Swords of Iron’, which aimed to annihilate Hamas’ military capabilities. The result is a severe humanitarian crisis, which has led to the massive displacement and destruction of the Gaza Strip.

Driven by humanitarian concern, a group of medical and veterinary students from Palestine was sent to UCT to complete their degrees, after their education was disrupted following the complete destruction of universities in Gaza.

Recently, despite facing these tragic circumstances of watching their homeland turn to rubble in a short space of time, this group of students defied all the odds and completed their qualifications to make it to the graduation stage.

Naturally, this was widely celebrated by many South Africans who empathised with these students, given the intimate link of apartheid struggle between South Africa and Palestine, and have urged the international community to intervene.

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Picture: @Ayesha_Bagus / X

Words: Nomonde Simelane / BONA Magazine (edited)

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