“We know that the current conflict in the Middle East has affected many of our customers and our employees. We have heard many views expressed via our social media channels, emails and phone calls.

Woolworths abhors violence and loss of life, particularly of children, in any circumstances and we are deeply saddened by the tragic consequences of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Many of our customers have asked if we source from the occupied territories. We do not. Further, all our suppliers are expected to adhere to the ethical standards in our code of conduct.

As a South African company we cater for a wide range of customers in our stores and try hard to acknowledge and celebrate the various beliefs and traditions of each group.

We have no political affiliations. We respect our customers’ right to make individual purchasing choices, which is why we clearly label every product’s country of origin and fully comply with government guidelines on product from Israel. Less than 0.1% of our food is sourced from Israel.”