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Johannesburg (People’s Daily) - South Africa said Tuesday its ambassador to Israel would be leaving.

“Given the indiscriminate and gravity of the latest Israeli attack, the South African government has taken a decision to recall Ambassador Sisa Ngombane with immediate effect until further notice,” the country’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation's spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said on Monday.

Mabaya said the South African government condemned “in the strongest terms possible the latest act of violent aggression carried out by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border”.

“[This] led to the deaths of over 40 [people] following a peaceful protest against the provocative inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem,” the spokesperson said.

He stated that South Africa reiterated its view that the Israeli Defense Force “must withdraw from the Gaza Strip and bring an end to the violent and destructive incursions into Palestinian territories”.

“South Africa maintains further that the violence in the Gaza Strip will stand in the way of rebuilding Palestinian institutions and infrastructure,” he added.

Mabaya said the South African government reiterated calls made by several member states of the United Nations calling for an independent inquiry into the killings, with a view to holding to account those who are responsible.