Oct 4 (Reuters) - The South African government on Saturday welcomed Hamas' decision to release all Israeli hostages under the terms of a U.S. plan for Gaza, urging Israel to reciprocate by releasing Palestinian political prisoners and children. "We welcome the decision by Hamas to release all Israeli hostages and its stated readiness for further engagement. This decision must be met with reciprocal action by the State of Israel", South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement. In 2023, South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide over its devastating war in Gaza, an allegation Israel vehemently denies. (Reporting by Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru, Editing by William Maclean) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
