South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor. Photo: Reuters/Nic Bothma

South Africa is recalling diplomats from Israel to assess its relationship with the country amid a rise in civilian casualties from its war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, its foreign minister said on Monday.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been vociferous in its support of the Palestinians, with President Cyril Ramaphosa recently comparing Hamas’ war on Israel with his own country’s struggle against an apartheid regime that ended in 1994.

Calling the return of diplomats a “normal practice,” Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said the recall was to determine “whether there is any potential for you to be of assistance and whether the continued relationship is actually able to be sustained in all terms.”

South Africa does not have an ambassador in Israel.

The country is “extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians” in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, the foreign minister said. Gaza is ruled by Hamas.

“We believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,” she said, adding the country would continue to call for a comprehensive ceasefire.

During the Cairo Peace Summit last month, Ramaphosa called on countries to not supply weapons to either side of the conflict while its foreign ministry urged the United Nations to deploy forces to protect civilians in Gaza.

Over 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in the deadly Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel. The Jewish state has responded by militarily targeting Hamas in Gaza, where the terrorist group has notoriously used civilians as human shields while fighting Israel.

Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since the war began, Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza have said.

At least two South African women are among the more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas during the pogrom unleashed by its terrorists on Oct. 7. Pro-Israel advocates in South Africa have slammed the South African government for its silence on the two hostages and not clearly condemning the Hamas atrocities.

Pandor made her latest remarks in Pretoria during a joint press briefing with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

She said there had been progress in two of the 10 points tabled during the African peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — return of the children to Ukraine from Russia and continued exchange of prisoners.

The minister did not provide any further details on the progress.