BRICS Leaders, UN To Hold Video Call on Israel-Hamas Conflict

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair a video call with BRICS leaders on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The heads of state of six countries invited to join the group earlier this year — Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates — will attend the talks, the presidency said in a statement on Monday. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will also participate in the virtual meeting, it said.

The meeting will be the first by leaders of the bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa since the six nations were invited to join the group at its annual summit in August.

“President Ramaphosa will deliver opening remarks at the BRICS extraordinary meeting, where member and invited states will also deliver country statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the presidency said.

The meeting comes after South Africa last week joined other nations in referring Israel to the International Criminal Court for war crimes over its conflict with Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.