South African Government condemns incursion into Gaza   

Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad has condemned "as unacceptable" the recent incursion of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) into Gaza over the weekend that led to the deaths of several children. He expressed concern that the escalation of violence in Gaza over the past two days, sparked by clashes between Palestinian militants and the IDF "bodes ill for any prospect of peace in the troubled region."

"The excessive use of force that led to the deaths of several children aged 8, 12 and 15 is utterly unacceptable under any circumstance. Furthermore, he said serious action ought to be taken to ensure that the lives of civilians were protected against excessive military force. "The fact that more than 81 Palestinians were wounded during an incursion by the IDF into Gaza simply cannot be condoned," Mr Pahad said.

The South African Government has called on all members of the international community to ensure that momentum is created for talks between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships. "Acts such as the one that was witnessed over the weekend cannot be allowed to hold the peace process hostage," said Mr Pahad.