South Africa accuses Israel of war crimes and 'genocide'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of war crimes and "genocide" in Gaza as he chaired an extraordinary summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday.

"The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food, and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide," he said.