Civilian Casualties in Gaza Continue to Increase, South Africa Withdraws Diplomats from Israel

The impact of the Israeli attack on Gaza October 2023. (Wikimedia Commons/Al Araby)

JAKARTA - South Africa has decided to withdraw its diplomats from Israel to reassess relations between the two countries, as the death toll from the war in the Gaza Strip continues to rise, the country's top diplomat said.

South Africa has long been a supporter of peace in the Middle East and supports Palestine, likening the country's suffering to that they experienced under the apartheid regime that ended in 1994.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor called the repatriation of diplomats a "normal practice", saying the withdrawal was carried out to determine "whether there is potential for you to be able to help and whether this ongoing relationship can really be maintained in all respects," he explained. as quoted by Reuters November 7.

Quoting CNN, the South African government said three diplomats would be withdrawn from Israel.

The country is "deeply concerned by the continued killing of children and innocent civilians" in the Palestinian territories, Foreign Minister Pandor said.

"We believe Israel's response is collective punishment," he said, adding the country would continue to call for a comprehensive ceasefire in Palestine.

During the Cairo Peace Summit last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on countries not to supply weapons to either side of the conflict. Meanwhile, the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the UN to deploy troops to protect civilians in Gaza.

South Africa also strongly condemns Israel's military operations in Gaza. In a media statement on November 4, South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "it is a war crime for Israel to directly target Palestinian civilians in hospitals, ambulances, schools, apartment buildings and in their private cars."

It is known that around 1,400 people were killed and 240 others were held as hostages following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.

That led Israel to carry out bombardment and total blockade of the Gaza Strip. Health Ministry spokesman in Gaza Ashraf Al Qudra said 10,022 Palestinians in the enclave were killed as a result of Israeli attacks, including 4,104 children, 2,641 women, and 611 elderly people.

The figures show around three-quarters of the deaths came from vulnerable populations. The ministry also reported that 25,408 other people were injured.