Former Congress of South African Trade Unions president and Congress of the People National Executive Committee member, Willy Madisha, has called on the government to condemn Israel over the ongoing war in Palestine.

Madisha says Israel has for decades been killing thousands of Palestinians in a war that has been condemned internationally. He says hundreds of people are being killed, children are being stopped from going to school and people have no food at all.

"This is a major problem and we are calling the government of South Africa to rise and say to Israel that this is wrong and that it has got to be stopped. South Africa should echo other countries’ sentiments so that the Israeli onslaught on Gaza should cease," Madisha said.

Madisha’s statements come on the back of condemnation from the ANC and the South African Communist Party. On Tuesday the ANC urged world leaders to do more than just verbally condemn the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. The SACP has also expressed outrage at what it called the genocidal aggression of Israel against the people of Gaza. The party said it felt the aggression is both a futile and disproportionate response to the objective of halting rocket fire from Gaza.