South Africa to hold virtual summit for BRICS nations to discuss Israel-Hamas war

South Africa will host a virtual summit of the 'BRICS' group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, according to a report on Monday night from Pretoria, the nation's capital, and Moscow.

BRICS members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are part of a group of rising economic powers that is allegedly looking to reshape the global order, which has been dominated by the United States and the West.

Tuesday’s summit will be hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with the goal of facilitating a unified response to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which were all invited to join the BRICS group in August, will join the online meeting on Tuesday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to participate, according to Ramaphosa.

“President Ramaphosa will deliver opening remarks at the BRICS, where member and invited states will also deliver country statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” a statement from South Africa read.

South Africa has voiced its ongoing support for the Palestinian cause and designated Israel as an apartheid state, comparing the current situation between Israel and the Hamas terror organization to its own history of struggle with apartheid.

In a statement from the African National Congress last Thursday, South Africa accused the Jewish state of genocide and said it would support a parliamentary motion to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel until it agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.

On Friday, South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti submitted a referral calling for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Israel-Hamas war.

While India condemned the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, it later emphasized the need for international humanitarian law, sending aid to Gaza and establishing a two-state solution.

China also supports a two-state solution and has been pushing for an immediate ceasefire since the war began last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will reportedly attend the virtual summit. He did not show up for the last annual meeting held in Johannesburg, allegedly due to an arrest warrant issued for the Russian leader by the ICC.

Putin, who accused the United States of 'fanning the flames' in the Middle East and being the cause of the Hamas attack, criticized Israel for its handling of the conflict.

According to political experts, the Russian leader is using the war to advance a new world order that would result in ending U.S. dominance.

The BRICS group is expected to issue a joint statement regarding the conflict in Gaza at the end of the meeting.

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly, Israel has defended itself from future attacks by conducting a counter-attack and ground offensive with the goal of eliminating the Hamas group in its entirety.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the death toll in Gaza has reached 13,300 with 5,500 of those children. However, the numbers cannot be independently verified and do not differentiate between civilians and terrorists, including civilians who were killed due to the Hamas terror group’s own rocket misfires.