Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor clarifies the content of the discussion with the leader of Hamas and denies supporting Hamas attack on Israel.
Minister Naledi Pandor has reportedly debuted supporting Hamas attack on Israel and clarified the content of her discussion with the leader of Hamas. This follows an alleged Hamas statement thanking the International Relations minister for supporting Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel when she spoke to the organization’s leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The government had first denied that Pandor had spoken to Haniyeh at all. However, the minister’s office confirmed the call but insisted that all they discussed was how to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
According to a statement posted by the government on their official website, “Reports that Minister Pandor also offered support for the ‘Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood’ are untrue and meant to impugn the Minister and the Government of South Africa.
Minister Pandor’s call with the Hamas leader is in line with South Africa’s readiness to engage all interlocutors as part of facilitating dialogue to end the ongoing conflict.”
The statement also called “on all sides to seize the opportunity for peace as opposed to violence, and for the international community to actively advocate for the implementation of its own international resolutions and establish a credible peace process.”
