Title: South Africa's Parliament Votes to Suspend Diplomatic Relations with Israel

Members of Parliament in South Africa voted today, Tuesday, to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspend all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire is agreed upon in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. This decision is largely symbolic, as its implementation is at the discretion of President Cyril Ramaphosa's government. A spokesperson for the presidency has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters. However, Ramaphosa and senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have openly criticized Israeli leadership during its destructive military campaign against Hamas in the densely populated Gaza Strip, and they have called for the International Criminal Court to investigate potential war crimes.