On Saturday the 7th of October 2023, the Hamas terror organisation, with the support of Iran, launched thousands of rockets into Israel. This was followed by a ground invasion of hundreds of terrorists into Israeli towns and cities bordering Gaza.

Reports say that over 700 Israelis (mostly civilians) have been killed and over 2000 injured, including women, children and the elderly.

Reports also indicate that over a hundred civilians and soldiers, have been captured and are being held hostage by the terrorists – many in Gaza.

In addition, there is a real concern that Israel’s immediate neighbours, including Hezbollah, will enter the conflict on a mass scale. Rockets have already been launched from the North into Israel. It is noteworthy that Hezbollah is also backed by Iran.

Both locally and internationally, pro-Palestinian groups and individuals are celebrating the murder of innocent Israelis and are calling for anti-Israel protests and actions. They have taken to social media to support the acts of terror against Israel and to instigate against local Jewish communities.

In response, the CSO has significantly increased the security around our community and communal facilities. Security is a collective effort, and we call upon everyone to play their part.

We are expecting the situation to escalate, with events continuing to unfold over the foreseeable future.

We ask the community to remain vigilant and report any concerns, incidents, suspicious activity or antisemitism immediately to the CSO’s 24-hour emergency control room on 0861800018.

We are closely monitoring this unfolding situation, both in Israel and here in SA, and will update you with any relevant information.

CSO Management

FOR ANY EMERGENCY, SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY OR POTENTIAL THREATS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OR JEWISH INSTALLATIONS, CONTACT THE CSO ON 086 18 000 18