South Africa once again called upon the Israeli occupation to fulfill its obligations under international law and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians amid the ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

The South African Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday, expressing deep concern and urging Israeli occupation to adhere to the principles outlined in the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law.

"South Africa calls on Israel once again to adhere to its obligations under international law and protect civilians as required under the Geneva Conventions and under International Humanitarian Law," the ministry said in the statement.

"It is not only foreign nationals who must be allowed to freely exit the Gaza Strip in a timely manner, but it is a war crime for Israel to directly target Palestinian civilians in hospitals, ambulances, schools, apartment buildings, and in their private cars," the ministry added.

This comes after three Egyptian security sources and a Palestinian official said a minimum of 320 foreign passport holders made their way to Egypt from Gaza.

The Palestinian official on the Gaza side of the border noted that the foreign passport holders left the territory aboard six buses.

An initial list of approximately 500 individuals who hold foreign passports or have dual nationality has received clearance to depart Gaza, and it is anticipated that evacuations will continue in the following days.

Furthermore, South Africa urged the international community to condemn Israeli threats regarding potential strikes on al-Shifa and Al-Quds Hospitals in the Gaza Strip. 

New Israeli massacre targets Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp in Gaza

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qudra, confirmed shortly after midnight that 47 individuals were martyred, and several have been wounded as a result of a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation in Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp.

Al-Qudra noted that a significant number of serious injuries had accumulated on the ground outside the emergency department of the Indonesian Hospital: adding that the majority of the martyrs and wounded from the Al-Maghazi massacre were children and women.

“Did you see the wound on my hand, my brother? Look at it with your eyes so that we can tell the world together about what happened to us in Gaza.”

A heartbreaking video of two surviving children from the Al-Maghazi refugee camp massacre the Israelis committed tonight.… pic.twitter.com/CItfGHVFJf

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 4, 2023