The BRICS group of nations held an extraordinary summit on Tuesday, during which South African President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of perpetrating war crimes and “genocide” in Gaza.
A virtual meeting of BRICS, a coalition of major emerging economies encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is being hosted by Pretoria to devise a collective strategy in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
‘The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide,’ Ramaphosa said.
The situation in Gaza has escalated significantly due to a spike in violence, fueled by Hamas gunmen’s cross-border raids on October 7, causing the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and setting a new record for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
Responding to the situation, Israel launched an unrelenting bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is under the rule of Hamas.
Hamas reports that the war has claimed the lives of over 13,300 people, with thousands of children among the casualties.
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According to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a ceasefire agreement with Israel was within reach on Tuesday, with mediator Qatar stating that negotiations to free hostages taken by the Palestinian Islamist group were at their “closest point” to a resolution.
Ramaphosa called for an ‘immediate and comprehensive ceasefire’ and the deployment of a UN force ‘to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.’
‘As individual countries, we have demonstrated our grave concern at the death and destruction in Gaza,’ he told the summit.
‘Let this meeting stand as a clarion call for us to combine our efforts and strengthen our actions to end this historical injustice.’
On Monday Israel’s foreign ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations.
As a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, South Africa has often linked it to its own struggle against apartheid, with the African National Congress (ANC) party at the forefront of this connection.
In a move earlier this month, Pretoria summoned back all its diplomats from Israel, and just last week, it aligned with four other nations in urging for an International Criminal Court inquiry into the conflict.