Pandor postpones trip to Palestine as conflict erupts between Israel and Palestinians

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor’s visit to Palestine has been postponed.

This was confirmed to The Citizen by Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela on Saturday.

“The minister’s visit to Palestine has been postponed”. Pandor was expected to visit Palestine this week.

Monyela did not specify why Pandor‘s visit was postponed.

Pandor denied

Meanwhile, The Citizen has learnt that Israel refused to provide Pandor with “passage to the Palestinian territories through Israel.”

In a letter seen by The Citizen, the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria said: “The Embassy of the State of Israel in Pretoria regrets to inform the esteemed Ministry that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel will not be able to provide the honourable minister Pandor with passage to the Palestinian territory through the territory of the State of Israel.

“The embassy furthermore wishes to inform that Israel will be entering an observant holiday period starting Friday evening 6^th October until Saturday evening 7th October,” it said.

This effectively means that Pandor would have had to sought entry into Palestine through a different corridor.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Pretoria said it avails itself “to renew to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa the assurance of its highest consideration.”

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Hamas attack

Meanwhile, Palestinian group Hamas has launched a “war” against Israel after barrages of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Saturday.

Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, announced that it had launched ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ against Israel.

Hamas also called on ‘armed groups in Lebanon’ to join forces with it in its fight against Israel.

Emad Saber, the official representative of Hamas in South Africa said the main reason for the campaign is the “criminal Zionist aggression against Masjid Al-Aqsa and all sacred and holy sites.”

“We also oppose the occupation’s harsh treatment, including the killing of innocent Palestinians and their ongoing apartheid policies. We’re pleased to inform you that the resistance is working as a united force and have achieved significant successes on the ground, with even more details to be announced soon.

“We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to  [all in] South Africa for their unwavering support, Saber said.

Attack condemned

Meanwhile, the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) said Hamas’ wide-scale operation took place on the Shabbat which also marks the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

Spokesperson of the South African Zionist Federation, Rolene Marks who is currently in Israel condemned Hamas’ campaign.

“This unprecedented attack by Hamas, deliberately executed during a Jewish holiday and Shabbat, shows the world once again that its modus operandi is to murder innocent Jews, stoke fear,  and attempt to destroy the State of the Jews,” Marks said.

The SAZF called on Dirco to condemn the attack

Egypt has warned of “grave consequences” from an escalation in tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in a statement from the foreign ministry carried by the state news agency on Saturday.

It called for “exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger”.

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