APA-Cape Town (South Africa) South Africa’s parliament has passed a resolution to shut down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and sever all diplomatic ties with the Middle East country over its war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In the resolution passed on Tuesday in the House and introduced by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the motion passed after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) moved to support it with an amendment, making the resolution conditional on Israel reaching a ceasefire with Palestine.
Some 248 votes from the EFF, the African Transformation Movement (ATM), Al Jama-ah, the National Freedom Party (NFP), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the ANC were needed to pass the resolution in the House.
However, 91 members from the Freedom Front Plus, African Christian Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance voted against it.
The amended motion was ultimately passed with more than 60 percent of the votes, the House announced.
“We do believe that in the case of Israel, it is the head of state who needs to have an arrest warrant used against him because we believe the evidence required is overwhelming,” ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said in parliament.
Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa on Monday for “consultations”, a day before the motion in Parliament.
Israel has come under fire for its six-week-long bombardment of Gaza, which has left over 13,000 people dead. The bombardment is in retaliation to an October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militia who are based in the Palestinian enclave.
NM/jn/APA