South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said Tuesday that demanding accountability for the killing of countless Palestinian children in Israeli attacks is "not anti-Semitic."

This came during a speech he gave during his participation in an event in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Pretoria, the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa.

"Any criticism of Israel cannot be considered anti-Semitic," Lamolla added.

He pointed out that "interrogating the person responsible for the countless bodies of children found in the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli bombs is not an act of anti-Semitism, but a profound appeal to the conscience of humanity, and a call for justice."

He stressed that Nelson Mandela's statement, "South Africa will not be free until Palestine is free," sums up South Africa's view of the Palestinian issue.

He stressed that his country's solidarity with the Palestinian people did not begin last year, as some are promoting, nor at the behest of another country.

Lamolla explained that a just and fair solution to the Palestinian issue is a prerequisite for achieving peace and security in the Middle East, and described the ongoing Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023, as "genocide."

Lamola pointed out that 10 countries, including Turkey, joined the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice, on December 29, 2023.

"The court found the evidence of genocide to be reasonable and ordered provisional measures," he added.