The BRICS nations held discussions on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas during a virtual meeting that aimed at drawing up a common response to the ongoing conflict. President Cyril Ramaphosa presided over the Extraordinary Summit from Pretoria, the nation’s capital. In this interview with Newzroom Afrika, SAIIA’s Senior Researcher Gustavo De Carvalho claims that the timing of the meeting that South Africa called appears to have been the nation’s way of requesting backing.