The Daily Mail reports that South African leaders met Hamas militants on official visits to their country after the deadly October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
The visit took place in December, in contrast to the chilly relationship at the time between Hamas and several other Arab powers in the Middle East. Hamas’s delegation was led by Basem Naim, a leader in Hamas's political office, and included Hamas’s representative in Iran, Ali Al-Qaddumi.
During the visit, the Hamas representatives toured the South African Parliament, visited African National Congress politicians, and held a press conference in memory of Nelson Mandela.
A short while later, South Africa would file suit against Israel in the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israeli officials rejected the claim, and denounced South Africa as ‘the legal arm of Hamas’.