South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has said that its citizens who have been fighting in Gaza with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will be arrested on their return to the country, the AP news agency reports.

“I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and are fighting... We are ready. When you come home, we are going to arrest you,” she is quoted as telling a Palestinian solidarity event earlier this week.

It is not clear how many people this could affect.

South Africa had already warned last year that its citizens that may be liable to prosecution if they fought with the IDF.

The Haaretz newspaper on Wednesday quoted a military statement saying that the "IDF is working to respond to possible security and legal risks when soldiers travel abroad. The IDF is monitoring the issue on an ongoing basis, in coordination and cooperation with the relevant government ministries.”

South Africa has been at the forefront of the diplomatic opposition to Israel's war in Gaza, which was sparked by the killing of more than 1,200 people and kidnapping of more than 200 others in October.

It launched a case at the International Court of Justice to consider whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.