President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold a BRICS emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza, where Israel has continued to bombard since Hamas fighters surged into Israel on October 7. 

BRICS leaders - Brazil, Russia, India, and China - will participate in a virtual Extraordinary Meeting with invited BRICS leaders from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, a statement issued by Ramaphosa's office said in Monday.    

South Africa, which has offered to help mediate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has previously called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the blockaded enclave.  

It has also asked the UN to send a peace keeping force to protect people in Gaza from further bombardment by Israel.     

Ramaphosa, the current Chair of the BRICS group of nations, will give opening remarks at the conference, which will also include national statements from member and invited states on the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the statement said.

The conference will be attended by UN Secretary General António Guterres, and leaders are expected to issue a Joint Statement on the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on Gaza.     

On Monday, Arab and Muslim ministers convened in Beijing to press for a ceasefire and an open corridor for humanitarian relief into Gaza. 

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com)