JOHANNESBURG: South Africa is all to host a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza and the Israel-Hamas war.
According to reports the Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East Situation in Gaza will be hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to draw a common response to the more than six-week conflict.
Besides Russia, the BRICS group includes Brazil, India, China, and South Africa.
Leaders from Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and some Arab states will attend the meeting.
South Africa has also confirmed the participation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the virtual meeting.
Summit to conclude with joint statement
The summit is expected to conclude with a joint statement highlighting the joint position of the BRICS countries.
Since the start of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza on October 7, the conflict has resulted in massive casualties. According to Palestinian authorities at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 9,000 women and children, with more than 30,000 others sustaining injuries.
The relentless air and ground attacks have also caused extensive damage to buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches.
The dire situation in Gaza is compounded by an Israeli blockade, severing the region from essential supplies such as fuel, electricity, and water. Aid deliveries to Gaza have reached to a minimum.
South Africa has long been supporting the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often referring it to its own struggle against apartheid.
South Africa on Friday, joined four other countries in calling for an International Criminal Court probe into the Israel-Hamas war.
This virtual summit follows recent discussions within the APEC group, which includes China and the United States, where leaders failed to reach a consensus on a joint response to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
