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The official opposition, Democratic Alliance, has called on the government to “unequivocally” condemn the attacks on Israel by members of Hamas, during which hostages were also reportedly taken.
DA MP, Emma Powell, urged the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to also join the international community in their calls for an immediate end to this rapidly escalating violence.
“The DA condemns this senseless violence and all acts of terror against innocent civilians, women and children and calls for aggressors to this conflict to immediately withdraw,” she said.
Powell said they also stand united with the global community in the call for the release of Israeli civilians who are currently being held hostage across several cities in the south of Israel.
The South African Zionist Federation said the Government and Minister Naledi Pandor, are quick to condemn Israel at every opportunity, particularly when the Jewish State defends herself, but remains deafeningly silent when Israelis are being targeted and murdered.
"The SAZF calls on the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to condemn this behaviour immediately and unconditionally, and urgently intervene to save Jewish, Arab and Christian lives in Israel today".
The BBC reported that Hamas fighters “breached the wire that separates Gaza from Israel in multiple places, in the most serious cross-border attack Israel has faced in more than a generation”.
It said Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is at war and will exact a heavy price from its enemies, with videos and photos of dead Israelis, civilians as well as soldiers, all over social media.
In a brief televised address, US president Joe Biden meanwhile pledged full support for Israel, which, according to the BBC, had already responded with air strike into Gaza while “its generals will be planning a ground operation next”.
According to international television reports, hundreds of people have already been killed.
