Marcelle Talia, a 65-year-old South African woman visiting Israel to celebrate the birth of her granddaughter, was killed in a recent attack by Hamas near the Gaza border.

Sa'ar Margolis, another South African, was also killed but further details remain unknown.

Talia was in Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha during her visit when the fatal incident occurred.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has criticised the South African government, accusing them of an unsympathetic response to the tragic deaths of its citizens.

Wendy Kahn, the SAJBD national director, claimed that the government's response blurred the nature of the event and dismissed the deadly assault experienced by its citizens as mere deaths in a conflict.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) announced that they were aware of the deaths, noting, "Two South African nationals have died in this ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel."

Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela affirmed that their missions in both Ramallah and Tel Aviv are providing consular services and coordinating efforts amidst the crisis.

Kahn alleges that the South African government has failed its Jewish citizens by neglecting to recognise the brutality of the incident, choosing instead to generalise it without highlighting the alleged atrocities committed.

This, she believes, reflects a moral cowardice that will be remembered "long after the guns have fallen silent."

Born and raised in the Free State, Talia had moved to Israel many years ago, a path also taken by her late husband Yaakov.