Gift of the Givers backs motion seeking closure of Israeli embassy following Gaza office head killing

Ahmed Abbasi, the Gift of the Givers office head in Gaza, was killed in a rocket strike on Thursday, 16 November, as he and his brother returned from morning prayers. 

Abbasi's brother was also killed in the attack, said the humanitarian organisation, but no further information was available immediately. 

The organisation made the announcement as Parliament prepares to hear a motion from the Economic Freedom Fighters to close the Israeli Embassy in South Africa — which has the support of the majority ANC. 

According to the organisation’s founder Imtiaz Sooliman, Abbasi was killed on Thursday morning after he and his brother returned from morning prayers in Gaza.

According to Sooliman, Abbasi had been "directly targeted by the apartheid Israeli forces in Gaza".

The organisation's Middle East head, Dr Malik M Abou-Rageila , claimed a bit later that Abbasi had been "targeted with a rocket" fired by the Israel Defence Force, and that his body parts were scattered in pieces.

The father of three has been described as a “kind, gentle, warm human being”. Sooliman said he was responsible for implementing multiple projects, including the care for orphans, widows, the elderly and the ill. “He delivered water through our desalination plants, distributed food parcels, provided hot meals and upgraded damaged homes,” said Sooliman in a statement on Thursday morning.

“We also fully support the motion in Parliament today for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador with immediate effect and the severing of diplomatic ties with the Apartheid State of Israel,” read the statement. 

ANC supports parliamentary motion 

The ANC has further accelerated its efforts to show support to those caught in the conflict of the Israel-Palestine war. This time around the party will be voting for the parliamentary motion which calls upon the government to close the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel. 

The motion also agrees to a ceasefire and commits to binding United Nations-facilitated negotiations, the outcome of which must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace.

“The African National Congress welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that our government has put through a referral to the International Criminal Court. We cannot sit back and watch the genocidal actions of the Israeli regime. President Ramaphosa has stated clearly that the ANC-led government as well as the ANC does not condone any form of violence directed at citizens. We welcome the fact that in this intervention South Africa is not alone, it has the support of other nations,” a statement by the party reads.

Read more in Daily Maverick: SA recalls diplomats in Tel Aviv over ‘untenable’ situation with Israeli ambassador

Daily Maverick understands the party’s National Working Committee had discussed the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with Israel during a meeting on Monday. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa informed them that the International Relations Department should look into the matter.

This move follows an announcement by Ramaphosa that South Africa would have referred the Israeli government to be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of the country’s role in the Middle Eastern war. 

The ANC has welcomed this decision saying that they could not “sit back” and watch the “genocidal actions” of the Israeli regime. 

“We reiterate our call for a cease-fire for humanitarian corridors to be fully operational,” said the ANC in its statement. 

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EFF leader Julius Malema will lead the motion that Israel’s actions have amounted to genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.

‘The people of Palestine have been subject to denial of healthcare, denial of humanitarian aid, freedom of movement and freedom of religious expression, due to the intolerance of a cruel Israeli regime which is determined to continue with its colonial expansion and annexation of Palestinian land. South Africa, which shares this common history of colonial domination and Apartheid with Palestine, cannot justify its continued diplomatic relations with Israel, and for this reason, the EFF calls for the closure of their embassy,” the red berets said in a statement.

SAJBD weighs in

The ANC met with the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) on Monday for a discussion about the Israel-Hamas war.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, national chairperson of the SAJBD Karen Milner said talks were cordial between the two parties. However, she did indicate that there was no conversation about the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with Israel. 

“From our side, there is a need for the ambassador [Eliav Belotserkovsky] and the diplomatic relations between SA and Israel should be functional in order for South Africa to play a meaningful role in the peace deal. There was certainly no indication from any side that there was an imminent breaking of diplomatic ties,” she said.

Belotserkovsky is already in hot water and was demarched last week over statements he made about support in South Africa for Palestinians.

Read more in Daily Maverick: All for Gaza ceasefire, but EFF motion to cut ties with Israel may be a step too far for ANC

The South African government called upon Belotserkovsky to conduct himself in line with the Vienna Conventions.

Milner explained that there was very little conversation about involving the ICC at the meeting with the ANC but instead looked at how the Jewish community in South Africa has been affected by the war.

“We mostly covered the view by the Jewish community that as a result of the lack of statements made by the ANC after the October 7 massacre, we also dealt with the rising anti-Semitism levels in South Africa and the need to bring the temperature down on the rhetoric and the threats that are been made at the rallies and the high level of emotionality at rallies and ANC statements.

“We did talk quite widely about the prospects of peace in the Middle East and the need for both sides to engage. We agreed we would try to engage further,” Milner stated.

According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen to more than 11,200 killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas’ attacks stands at more than 1,200. DM

This story has been updated to reflect that Gift of the Givers officials said Ahmed Abbasi was killed in a rocket strike rather than shot.

This is a developing story and may be updated.