Zille drew sharp criticism regarding genocide in response to a question about Israel's war in Gaza. The ANC has condemned the DA’s defence and “continued support of the apartheid State of Israel”, after the party’s federal chairperson, Helen Zille, sidestepped a question about whether genocide was being committed in Gaza. Zille, the DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, evaded questions during an interview about Israel’s attacks on Gaza, where widespread destruction and mass civilian deaths have led international observers and rights groups to label the assault as genocide. But I certainly do know that Hamas has spent all its energy trying to obliterate the state of Israel,” Zille said. “This shocking statement suggests that one must physically ‘visit Gaza’ before recognising genocide.