Brazilian Leader Asserts Israel Guilty of Genocide Against Palestinians Amidst Ongoing Conflict – Sky Bulletin
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According to recent reports from the DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP), the President of Brazil has made a bold accusation this Saturday, claiming that Israel is effectively carrying out a genocide on the Palestinian population. This statement adds fuel to an already incendiary debate initiated by the president last week when he equated Israel’s aggressive actions in Gaza to acts reminiscent of the Nazi Holocaust.
The Israeli government has strongly denied these accusations of genocide, maintaining that the military operations are directed against the militant organization Hamas and not Palestinian civilians. Israeli officials argue that by positioning themselves within civilian areas, Hamas bears responsibility for the resulting civilian casualties.
Recent figures released by the Health Ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, indicate that in the last 24 hours, hospitals have received 92 Palestinian casualties from Israeli strikes. This brings the death toll from almost five months of conflict to a staggering 29,606, with close to 70,000 injuries reported.
It should be noted that the statistics provided by the Health Ministry do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, although they have indicated that a significant portion of the deceased includes women and children. The Israeli Defense Forces, on the other hand, claim that their forces have eliminated in excess of 10,000 Hamas combatants, though specific details have not been released.
The Escalating Humanitarian Emergency
In the backdrop of an intensifying civilian death toll and deteriorating living conditions in Gaza, the demand for a ceasefire becomes more urgent. The area grapples with mounting hunger and rampant infectious diseases. With approximately 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million displaced, about 1.4 million individuals are now concentrated in the southern city of Rafah, near the border with Egypt.
Representatives from the USA, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar are forging attempts to broker a ceasefire at a meeting in Paris this weekend. Egypt and Qatar are currently mediating the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated his commitment to achieve a “total victory”. However, he has also sent a delegation to the Paris meeting with the objective of negotiating the release of hostages in return for a temporary cease-fire. Despite the urgency to reach an agreement in light of the approaching start of Ramadan on March 10, significant differences between the parties persist.
Fresh Accusations of Genocide by Brazil
Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has reiterated his position through a social media platform, refusing to retract his previous statement that likened Israeli military tactics to those of the Nazis in the Second World War, where approximately 6 million Jews were killed.
“What the Israeli government is doing is not war, it is genocide,” he proclaimed this Saturday. “Children and women are being murdered.”
Following these confrontational remarks, Israel responded by declaring the Brazilian president a persona non grata, summoning Brazil’s ambassador, and demanding an apology. In a retaliatory move, Lula recalled the Brazilian ambassador to Israel for consultations.
Moreover, a complaint was lodged last month with the International Court of Justice by South Africa, accusing Israel of acts tantamount to genocide against Palestinians. Following this, the court issued a provisional directive, urging Israel to do everything in its power to prevent further killings and destruction, including acts of genocide in Gaza. Israeli officials have criticized South Africa for what they perceive as hypocritical actions.
Controversial Settlement Expansion
There has been a strong reaction from the United States, one of Israel’s key allies, against the Israeli government’s plans to construct more than 3,300 new residences in the settlements spread across the West Bank, which is currently under Israeli occupation.
The firebrand finance minister of Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, has claimed that these construction plans are a response to a recent Palestinian shooting event that claimed the life of an Israeli citizen and injured five others
The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed “disappointment” upon hearing the news from Israel regarding the settlements. “It’s been long-standing U.S. policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that the creation of new settlements hinders the peace process and is incompatible with international law,” he announced from Buenos Aires. He also mentioned that the present U.S. administration has revived a U.S. legal opinion dating from nearly half a century ago that deems Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as “illegitimate” under international law.
This is a notable policy reversal from the determination made by Mike Pompeo, Blinken’s predecessor.
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The Cairo correspondent, Magdy, contributed to this report.
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For further AP coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
The recent statements from Brazil’s president have inflamed tensions and brought international attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. As the global community watches on, the conflict continues to have profound implications for the people of Gaza, the relationship between Brazil and Israel, and the broader discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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