South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has rallied world leaders attending a peace summit in Cairo to stop providing weapons to either parties in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and to push for a ceasefire.
World leaders attended the summit on Saturday to discuss the conflict as the death toll in Gaza climbed to 4,385 including 1,756 children on Saturday, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.
“As the international community we must call for a ceasefire to find a sustainable solution to this conflict and stand on the side of peace, justice and human rights and end the human suffering that continues to unfold in Gaza right now," Ramaphosa said.
“We therefore call on all parties to exercise restraint and on all state actors to desist from providing weapons to either of the sides to the conflict,” he added.
South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the region, likening the plight of Palestinians to its own under an apartheid regime that ended in 1994.
"Among the most prominent leaders at the summit are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Jordanian King Abdullah II.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also attending.
