Families of Israeli hostages want Israel to accept Hamas’s proposal of exchanging Palestinian prisoners for the hostages, but Israel’s president made no commitment.
Over the past few weeks we have witnessed a disturbing trend of a collective blind eye being turned to history
Our grief for people we have not personally known is informed by the narratives and stories we are exposed to – but these stories are not equally told
Horrifying as they were, the events of 7 October were the latest twist in a violent cycle triggered in the distant past
The United Nations estimates Gaza needs about 100 trucks a day to meet the needs of its 2.4 million residents
The US Secretary of Defence ordered the activation of air defence systems and notified additional forces that they may be deployed soon
A Hamas spokesman said ‘even dozens’ of such convoys could not meet Gaza’s needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute supplies
The president said South Africa could relate to the plight of Palestine
The Islamist group took more than 200 people hostage when it stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7
Nomvula Mokonyane says Israel’s embassy in South Africa must be shut
The presidency reiterated that South Africa is ready to help negotiate a lasting peace settlement in the Middle East
Egyptian state-linked broadcaster Al Qahera News had said the Rafah crossing, the only route into Gaza, would open on Friday, but Cairo later said it needed more time to repair roads
Hamas said after the explosion on Tuesday that the cause was an Israeli air strike
A wider Middle East war would hit an already fragile and fragmented economy.
Secretary general Fikile Mbalula says the heavily criticised international relations minister was doing her job as a diplomat to advance peace during call with Hamas leader
If Hezbollah is activated by Iran, its involvement would likely open up a regional war
Russia, China, Tanzania, Mexico, Portugal and Cambodia are among the scores of countries whose citizens are dead, kidnapped or missing
World history is littered with conflicts that might have been avoided if warnings had been acted on
Iran has warned of a possible ‘pre-emptive action’ against Israel as it prepares a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip
The call has been endorsed by dozens of organisations and individuals across the continent
The ANC deputy secretary general also insisted that the governing party was not ‘anti-Jew’
South Africa is ready to help negotiate a lasting settlement in the region, the president said
Raping women and beheading children is not a struggle for human rights or freedom, it is a massacre
There can be no peace for Israelis and Palestinians if they continue to hate each other
The biggest myth of modern Israeli politics has been exposed — the oppression of Palestinians keeps Israel secure
The UN secretary-general also voiced alarm at the announcement of a total siege of the Gaza Strip, while all aide has been blocked
There are fears that misinformation could trigger real-world harm, amplifying hate and violence especially in conflicts such as in Israel/Palestine
At the moment, the geopolitical conditions to bring all sides willingly to the table do not exist
To call the conflict “terrorism” highlights a bias in Western-centred reporting
Israel also came under attack from the north on Sunday when Lebanon’s Hezbollah launched guided missiles and artillery shells ‘in solidarity’ with the unprecedented Hamas offensive, without causing any casualties
Israel regularly restricts, controls and blocks access to water, and chops down vital olive trees
Israel is scaling up its information war ahead of a UNHRC session at the end of February that will table a report into last year’s bombing of Gaza