The International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has condemned the killing of Hamas leader, Dr Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike, in Iran, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He had been attending the inauguration of the country's new president.
Iran held funeral processions on Thursday for Hamas political chief.
Expressing his condolences to Haniyeh's family, Dirco Minister Ronald Lamola said the South Africa government was concerned about the continuous targeting of civilians in Gaza will further spiral the already tense situation in the entire region.
"South Africa urges that a thorough investigation be conducted and call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid any acts that would escalate tensions in the particularly fragile region," Lamola said in a statement.
The Minister said such acts of extrajudicial killings violate international law and the principles of human rights, undermining global efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
"No country is above the law and all nations must respect international law, particularly the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the Minister said.
He added that any form of extrajudicial killing is a blatant violation of these principles and extra judicial killings of this nature have a destabilising effect. It is crucial that the perpetrators of such actions must be brought to justice.
Lamola said Haniyeh's assassination comes amid the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel.
“South Africa reiterates its view that the international community must act immediately to bring to an end the genocide in Gaza, end impunity, end the aggression meted against Palestinians and end the illegal occupation by Israel,” Lamola said.
“It is our collective human duty to call for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire. Nothing can justify the deliberate killings and injuring of civilians as an entire population endures destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history.”
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