South Africa has welcomed the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"It is now the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to ensure that there is compliance with the resolution, which is binding on the parties," South Africa's department of international relations and cooperation said in a statement on Monday.

Foreign minister Naledi Pandor separately welcomed the resolution on public radio but stressed that "the ball is in the court of the Security Council".

South Africa has already filed a complaint against Israel before the International Court of Justice, alleging its assault on Gaza amounts to a violation of the genocide convention.

The court has yet to rule on the underlying issue, but earlier this year ordered Israel to do everything it could to prevent genocidal acts du ring its campaign and also to allow in humanitarian aid.

The UN Security Council resolution passed on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza five months into the grinding war on Gaza, despite Israel's ally the United States abstaining.

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