BRICS countries will meet virtually today to discuss the Gaza situation

According to the South African President Office, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa will host the BRICS groups of states for a virtual BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting in light of the current circumstances in Gaza.Significantly, Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, will also take part in the virtual gathering.According to the press release, the president of South Africa will launch the meeting and then invited states and members will speak about the present humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A united statement on the Middle East issue, namely on Gaza, will be adopted later in the meeting. Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates have been asked to participate in a virtual Extraordinary Meeting with leaders of the BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

After Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking nearly 240 others prisoner, Israeli leaders declared war on the terrorist organization.

The African National Congress (ANC), which is in power in South Africa, has long been a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause and frequently draws parallels between it and its own fight against apartheid.

The South African government has said that it will return all Israeli diplomats in order to “signal” its concern over the circumstances in Gaza. Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni of the president’s office announced on Monday that all diplomatic personnel stationed in Tel Aviv will be asked to return to Pretoria for talks, but he did not elaborate.

The African National Congress (ANC), which is in power in Pretoria, has long been a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause and frequently draws parallels between it and its own previous fight against apartheid.

China has long supported a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and shown sympathy for the Palestinian people. Since the fighting began last month, Beijing has been demanding a swift cease-fire.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has criticized Israel for its actions in the war and accused the West of inflaming tensions in the Middle East.