The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) condemned Israeli drone attacks on Gaza on Saturday.

Spokesman Patrick Craven said the attacks were linked to remarks by Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, indicating growing support for the Palestinians cause, during a recent Gaza visit.

News agency Agence France-Presse reported that 38 people were killed in Gaza, and 345 wounded, since Israel launched the aerial attacks on the Palestinian-held area on Wednesday.

Cosatu called for an end to the Israeli attacks, and for the Israel West Bank barrier, which it called the "apartheid wall", to be dismantled.

"Cosatu reaffirms its total solidarity with the Palestine people's struggle and its legitimate demand for full national sovereignty and human rights..."

Craven re-iterated the congress' appeal to the South African government to withdraw its ambassador to Israel in protest of that country's actions.

"While Cosatu will never condone violence, it will defend the inalienable right of the people of Palestine to struggle for the land which was stolen from them in the wars of 1948 and 1967."

On Friday, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu appealed to the authors of the recent violence in the Middle East to urgently lay down their arms.

"Once again, the innocent people of Israel and Palestine are paying with their blood to advance the divisive and exclusive agendas of the intolerant few," Tutu said in a statement.

"Once again, fanatics on both sides blame each other and claim to be acting with the approval of God."