by Madeleine Hubbard
South Africa is the latest country to pull its diplomats from Israel after making the announcement this week. Calls for a ceasefire have mounted since the IDF has been bombing hospital areas in Gaza where Hamas fighters operate from a network of tunnels.
More countries are withdrawing their diplomats from Israel as pressure mounts for Israel to reach a ceasefire with Hamas terrorists.
The following countries have pulled their ambassadors from Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and killed more than 1,400 people:
- South Africa
South Africa is the latest country to pull its diplomats from Israel, announcing their decision this week.
"The South African government has decided to withdraw all of its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation,” Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said, according to CNN. Ntshavheni also accused Israel of committing "genocide."
- Chad
The African nation of Chad also said this week that it would pull its diplomats from Israel after formally restoring relations with the only democracy in the Middle East in 2019 after Chad severed ties in 1972.
"Chad condemns the loss of human lives of many innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire leading to a lasting solution to the Palestinian question," a spokesperson for the government said.
- Jordan
Jordan recalled its ambassador earlier this month in protest of the war in Gaza, according to The Times of Israel. Meanwhile, Jordan Foreign Minister Arman Safadi told Israel that it should not send its ambassador, who left due to security concerns at the start of the war, back to Amman.
- Turkey
Turkey has made multiple high-profile moves against Israel since Oct. 7. Last week, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off," according to Politico.
Last month, Erdogan said, "Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a liberation group, a mujahideen group that struggles to protect its lands and citizens," even though both the United States and European Union consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization.
Turkey also banned Coca-Cola and Nestle products from its restaurants this week over the companies' alleged support for Israel, according to Reuters.
- Bahrain
Bahrain said last week that its ambassador to Israel returned to the island nation, also according to Reuters. While Israel maintains that ties with Bahrain are still stable, its ambassador left the kingdom following hostility that broke out as a result of the latest conflict.
Additionally, Bahrain said after a parliament meeting regarding Israel: "The cessation of economic relations was also decided."
- Chile
Chile's president, Gabriel Boric, said last week that his country would be recalling its diplomat from Israel. Chile has the largest concentration of Palestinians in South America, estimated at close to 500,000.
"Chile strongly condemns and observes with great concern that these military operations – which at this point in their development entail collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza – do not respect fundamental norms of international law," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, last week.
- Colombia
Colombia also recalled its ambassador last week. Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a post on X accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and said Netanyahu committed crimes against humanity for his alleged part.
- Honduras
Honduran Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Reina said on X last week that his country would recall its ambassador to Israel over the "serious humanitarian situation suffered by the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip."
- Bolivia
Bolivia was the first country to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza, doing so in late October.
Pressure from other countries
Israel has faced repeated calls from the United Nations to reach a truce or ceasefire in Gaza.
Even countries that claim to support Israel are demanding a ceasefire or at least a humanitarian pause, like the one demanded by foreign ministers of the G7 nations.
Israel is resisting calls for a ceasefire but agreed on Thursday to daily four-hour humanitarian pauses in north Gaza.
Meanwhile, other countries are still expressing hostility toward Israel over the conflict. For example, Ireland's Sinn Fein party earlier this week demanded that Israeli Ambassador Dana Erlich be expelled from Dublin.
Madeleine Hubbard
Source: https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/countries-withdraw-ambassadors-israel-ceasefire-pressure-mounts
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