South Africa said its foreign minister held a call with the leader of Hamas about getting aid into Gaza and other Palestinian territories and denied a report of offering support to the militant group in its conflict against Israel.
South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor received a request to call Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the government’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement.
Mr Pandor added that the call aligned with the country’s readiness to engage with all parties in facilitating dialogue.
Local publication News24 earlier reported a statement from Hamas that the group had received a call of support from South Africa’s foreign minister.
It said the Hamas statement did not name Mr Pandor.
“We do not have a bilateral relationship with Hamas… Support for the Palestinian struggle against occupation does not equate to support for Hamas,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said on…