South Africa on Tuesday condemned the massive Israeli airstrikes launched across Gaza.
The Israeli military had earlier said it hit targets across Gaza, ending a weeks-long standoff over extending the ceasefire that halted fighting between Isreal and Palestinian militant group Hamas in January.
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza later reported that no fewer than 400 people dead.
The death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours as many remain under the rubble of bombarded buildings.
These deadly airstrikes emerge after a failure to implement the second stage of the peace agreement by Israel, despite ongoing negotiations to ensure that the ceasefire holds.
However, in a statement issued by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the African nation said it is gravely concerned by the military onslaught, and the fact that millions of people in Gaza are facing severe food and water shortages as Israel continues to block aid and cut off energy supplies to the strip.
It added that Israel, which has enforced a total blockade of Gaza, has now issued new forced displacement orders for several areas.
South Africa also condemned the four targeted Israeli military strikes launched against southern Syria overnight, which killed at least two and wounded 19 others on the outskirts of the southern Syrian province of Deraa.