The African Union (AU), a coalition of African nations, has expelled the Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia, located in East Africa. AU leaders have declared that they will refrain from attending any meetings or programs of the Union if the Israeli ambassador is present.
This information was reported on Monday by Israeli news outlet The Jerusalem Post. Oren Marmorstein, spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed strong resentment over the incident and told The Jerusalem Post, “Yesterday, Sunday, a pre-scheduled event was held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia’s capital) to commemorate the victims of the genocide against Rwanda’s Tutsi community. The Israeli ambassador had been invited to attend and was present at the event.”
“However, upon seeing him at the venue, the AU Commission Chairman began verbally attacking Israel and eventually asked the ambassador to leave the event,” Marmorstein added.
He further stated, “What the AU Commission Chairman did is completely unacceptable. The leaders of the African Union seem unaware of a fundamental truth—that both the Rwandan people and the Jewish community have endured centuries of horrific ethnic violence.”
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated it will take diplomatic action regarding this matter.
Since October 2023, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been conducting military operations in Gaza. The offensive began after Hamas fighters, who control the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
In an attempt to rescue the hostages, Israel began its Gaza operation the same day. After more than 15 months of continuous military action, Israel, under pressure from the U.S. and other mediating nations, announced a ceasefire on January 19. However, less than two months later, on March 18, the IDF resumed military operations in Gaza. In just 20 days of this second phase, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Since the beginning of the operation, over 50,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with 56% of the victims being women and children.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas, it is believed that at least 35 are still alive. The IDF has announced that it aims to rescue them through military means.
The United Nations and international communities have repeatedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt military operations in Gaza. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), commonly referred to as the UN court, has accepted a genocide case filed against Netanyahu and his key associates.
Despite this, Netanyahu has clearly stated that the goal of the operation is to fully weaken and dismantle Hamas and to secure the release of the hostages—and the operation will continue until those objectives are met.
Tensions between Israel and the African Union began at the onset of the Gaza offensive. The genocide case filed at the ICJ was initiated by South Africa, one of the most influential member states of the African Union.