Israel has vehemently refuted allegations of endangering the safety of South African minister Naledi Pandor, accusing her of “blood libel” and alleging that the minister is the “legal arm” of Hamas.
Tensions between the two nations reached a crescendo last month following South Africa’s submission of a genocide accusation against Israel to the International Court of Justice, a charge denied by Israel.
In light of recent events, Naledi Pandor disclosed concerns about her safety, having reportedly received threatening communications. She expressed her resolve against intimidation, citing ongoing causes, in a statement to local media.
Israel has now issued a stern rebuttal through its foreign affairs ministry, dismissing the accusations as baseless and attributing them to the South African foreign minister’s purported alignment with Hamas.
The statement emphasised South Africa’s alleged efforts to undermine Israel’s right to self-defence and its alignment with the interests of Hamas and Iran in the Middle East and Africa, labelling the South African government’s actions as supportive of terrorism.
Israeli officials report approximately 1,300 casualties resulting from Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7. Conversely, the Palestine Health Ministry reports that over 27,800 Palestinians have been killed and at least 67,000 injured as a consequence of Israel’s bombardment.