UNS: South African lawmakers have voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire is agreed in its continuing military offensive in Gaza.
The resolution is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government whether to implement it; a presidency spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
But Ramaphosa and senior foreign ministry officials have been vocally critical of Israel’s leadership during its devastating military campaign in the densely populated Gaza Strip, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.
The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Government says Gaza death toll surpasses 14,000
Gaza’s government has said the death toll in the Palestinian territory has reached 14,128 since the Israeli offensive began on October 7, AFP reports.
The government said 5,840 children and 3,920 women were among the dead, with another 33,000 people wounded.
