Lula asserts Israel persists in sabotaging Middle East peace process

On Sunday (Jul. 14), Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized the Israeli government for a recent attack on the Gaza Strip. In a social media statement, Lula urged global political leaders not to remain silent in response to what he called an "endless massacre."

"The Israeli government continues to sabotage the peace process and the ceasefire in the Middle East. The latest bombardment of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people, is unacceptable. It now totals over 90 fatalities and nearly 300 wounded, including children, the elderly, and women in tents designated for humanitarian aid in Khan Younis' Al-Mawasi area," lamented the president, referring to the attack that occurred on Saturday (Jul. 13).

Lula finds it "appalling" that the Palestinian people continue to face collective punishment, even within delimited humanitarian zones that are supposed to be protected.

"We, the political leaders of the democratic world, cannot remain silent in the face of this endless massacre. Ceasefire and peace in the region must be top priorities on the international agenda. All our efforts must be focused on securing the release of Israeli hostages and putting an end to the attacks on the Gaza Strip," emphasized Lula.

Violations

In May of this year, President Lula reassigned Ambassador Frederico Meyer, who served as the chief diplomat at the Brazilian representation in Tel Aviv, to the role of Brazil's representative at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, a United Nations (UN) body. Currently, no replacement has been appointed at the Brazilian embassy in Tel Aviv.

Since last year, Lula has been criticizing Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, which he condemns as genocide against the Palestinian people. The Brazilian government views these actions in Gaza as systematic violations of human rights.