Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
USAfrica: The government of South Africa announced on Monday, November 6, 2023, it will recall all of its diplomats from Israel due to its concern regarding the escalating situation and the number of people killed by Israeli armed forces and settlers, in Gaza.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor stated “We are… extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians in the Palestinian territories and we believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment.”
He added “We felt it important that we do signal the concern of South Africa while continuing to call for a comprehensive cessation (of hostilities).”
Also, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office had stated the same position during a briefing.
USAfricaonline.com notes the latest round of violence began on October 7, 2023, with vicious attacks inside Israel by Hamas fighters. They killed almost 1,420 people in Israel. Israel has since responded, daily, by unleashing severe air strikes and ground operations in and outside Gaza, killing (as at this first week of November) more than 10,000 Palestinians and Hamas fighters. The United Nations and other agencies have expressed their concerns about Israeli disruptions of humanitarian supplies and medical support to civilians, hospitals and schools. The Hamas group is still holding at least 218 Israelis and some Americans hostage since the October 7 attack on Israel.
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