South Africa – Thursday, November 30, 2023
Cabinet has reaffirmed the call made by the BRICS nations for a comprehensive ceasefire and an end to the violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict .
This is according to the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who addressed media on Thursday on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday .
Ntshavheni said Cabinet has also called for an end to the “deplorable” killings of civilians and indiscriminate attacks that also target civilian infrastructure .
Meanwhile, she said the Executive welcomed the convening by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as Chair of the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa] group of nations, of an Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East Situation, which was also joined by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres .
“As a prominent voice of the Global South, the outcome from the extraordinary meeting bolsters the international call for solidarity, tolerance and dialogue for the people of Palestine and Israel .
“The BRICS leaders unanimously called for accountability in the conflict, which claimed the lives of thousands of people and left many displaced,” she told the media .
The BRICS leaders expressed concerns about the latest escalation of violence since the 7 October 2023 attack and the grave deterioration of the situation in the region, in particular the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel .
Cabinet, Ntshavheni said, was hopeful that the exchange of hostages and the temporary pause in the hostilities for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza would provide an opportunity to negotiate a comprehensive ceasefire and a more permanent solution to the plight of Palestinians and the security concerns of the people of Israel .
According to reports, more than 15 000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, while the death toll in Israel stands at about 1 200 .
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