Diplomats from Western and several Middle East countries in SA were aghast on Tuesday after the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) confirmed Minister Naledi Pandor's conversation with Hamas, to express what she said was only humanitarian support.

One high-ranking official questioned whether a statement by Hamas about the call could be Russian misinformation, designed to drive a wedge between South Africa and Russia. Others initially agreed with Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, who told News24 that such a call was a diplomatic impossibility, as South Africa had no relationship with Hamas.

Pandor's eventual confirmation that she had spoken with Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh left diplomats from other countries scrambling to answer questions from their home countries, including why they were learning of the conversation from a Hamas statement rather than from South Africa - at a very sensitive time.

"At least we can tell them your president didn't know either," one diplomat quipped.

News24 reached out to 20 key countries with missions in South Africa. None would speak of the Hamas call or its implications on the record. Some asked not to be quoted on not being willing to answer questions, others referred questions to Pandor's office. 

One mission did respond to a specific question. Asked if Pandor had reached out to it too, the Israeli embassy in South Africa said it was "not aware of any conversation of the Honourable Minister Pandor with the Israeli Government or the Israeli Embassy".

A humanitarian conversation

In an authenticated statement, Hamas said Pandor had affirmed South Africa's stance in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and Gaza, in its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Dirco's statement said "reports" that she had offered support for that operation "are untrue and meant to impugn the minister and the government of South Africa", without specifying whether it believed that to be the intent of Hamas, or journalists reporting on the Hamas statement.

In both Dirco and Hamas versions of the conversation, Pandor offered humanitarian aid. By Pandor's account, she "expressed sadness and regret for the loss of innocent lives both Palestinians and Israelis"; Hamas mentions only condolences to Palestinians.

And, held Dirco, to the surprise of foreign diplomats, there had been nothing extraordinary about the conversation.

"Minister Pandor's call with the Hamas leader is in line with South Africa's readiness to engage all interlocutors as part of facilitating dialogue to end the ongoing conflict," said the department.

Conditional Hamas criticism from Pandor

South Africa's formal statements from Dirco and from the Presidency on the Hamas-Israel fighting have been notably different in their tone. Condolences, and a strong focus on the clear wrongdoing by both sides, have come from Ramaphosa, while Pandor's department has steered clear of criticism of Hamas, and has expressed little concern over the killing of Israelis, while roundly condemning Israel's behaviour.

Pandor has personally and publicly - though conditionally – criticised what Hamas may have done, without judging it outright, and while constantly referring back to Israel's ultimate culpability.

"In armed conflict, when those who are fighting for freedom come to a position where they have to engage in armed conflict, often the freedom fighters make the decision that they will target military targets or institutions of the oppressive government," she told radio station 702, on being asked about her initial response to the escalation of violence.

"The targeting of civilians is usually avoided. So I was saddened by the loss of life of civilians. I believe this is tragic and we do express our condolences to those people of Israel who have lost their lives. We are also hoping and calling on Hamas that hostages should be returned, safe. However, we recognise the desperation that leads to actions of this nature, having been a people who have experienced oppression and denial of freedom, and who had to engage in a just struggle to obtain our freedom from oppression."

Pressed on whether South Africa could condemn Hamas' actions, Pandor partially demurred.

I don't know whether we can condemn it, I don't have sufficient information on who the responsible parties are, but I do believe that to attack civilians and kill civilians, who have no role in the particular hostility towards Palestinians, that for me is a concern.

She then criticised the SA Jewish Board of Deputies for its silence on the oppression of Palestinians; "to them, Palestinians don't exist", she said.

Return Israeli's children

On Tuesday, Ramaphosa's security advisor, Sydney Mufamadi, called on the Hamas to return kidnapped Israeli children, should the organisation want lasting peace.

South Africa will try to persuade both sides to "respect the laws of war", he told News24.

"And foremost among those laws is the importance of treating civilian life as sacrosanct. So far, [there have been actions] on both sides which fall short of observing that law. And, therefore, we will join everybody else in the world in urging them to desist from any actions that have the potential to harm civilians," Mufamadi said.

The siege of Gaza is not conducive to peacemaking, he said, and "the children that are said to have been taken against their will from Israel territory to Palestine must be returned".

Mufamadi said he had yet to speak to South African diplomats trying to sell the country's pro-Palestine foreign policy, to brief them as the president's security advisor.

In May, South Africa is due to host the conference of the Global Anti-Apartheid Movement Against Israeli Apartheid. Local organisers include Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, ANC veteran and former Presidency director-general Frank Chikane, former Cabinet minister Ronnie Kasrils, activist Dr Allan Boesak, and academic Professor Steven Friedman.

The gathering's strategic objective is to hold Israel accountable for its crime of apartheid against the Palestinians and work to dismantle Israeli apartheid from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. 

Fire Pandor now

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies said Pandor's engagement with Hamas had "dragged our country into very dangerous waters", and called on her to resign or be fired immediately.

Given access to Hamas, Pandor's only legitimate course of action would have been to ensure the release of any South Africans among the hostages taken to Gaza, said South African Jewish Board of Deputies vice-president Zev Krengel.

"You've got a government that's been hijacked by Islamic jihadists," said Krengel. "Unless she resigns or [Ramaphosa] fires her, South Africa is in a seriously compromised position."