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05-11-2023
BOGOTA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned Israel’s bombardments of Gaza, calling its war in the besieged Palestinian enclave that has so far killed more than 9,000 people “genocide”.
Petro’s remarks came in a post on X on Wednesday, accompanied by a picture of victims of the Israeli air attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza that killed at least 195 people. At least 120 people are also missing, according to Gaza’s officials.
“It’s called Genocide, they do it to remove the Palestinian people from Gaza and take it over,” he wrote.
“The head of the state who carries out this genocide is a criminal against humanity,” wrote Petro. “Their allies cannot talk about democracy.”
Petro’s comments were posted a day after Colombia, along with Chile, which has the largest Palestinian population in Latin America, recalled their ambassadors to Israel in condemnation of Israel’s bombardment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric cited Israel’s “unacceptable violations of international humanitarian law” for the move.
Bolivia cut ties with Israel completely over its bombardment and siege of Gaza and mounting civilian casualties. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on Israel to end its bombing of Gaza.
“We are seeing, for the first time, a war in which the majority of those killed are children,” Lula wrote on X. “Stop! For the love of God, stop!”
Argentina, which has the largest Jewish community in Latin America, has issued a condemnation of Israel’s attack on the Jabalia refugee camp, saying: “Nothing justifies the violation of international humanitarian law”, while also calling for the release of captives held by Hamas, the group that rules Gaza.
Peru and Mexico lambasted the Israeli attacks on Wednesday. Peru’s foreign ministry released a statement, saying: “Peru condemns, and will continue to condemn, violence from wherever it comes from.”
Mexican diplomat Alicia Buenrostro, speaking at a UN emergency special session on Gaza, called for the “occupying power” of Israel to cease its claim to the Palestinian territories, arguing for a two-state solution.
“This needs to stop,” she said, adding that Mexico would increase its aid to Palestinian refugees.
The three countries called for Hamas to release its captives. Both Argentina and Peru have said nationals of their countries have been killed in the conflict, while Mexico says it has nationals among the kidnapped. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
