Itamaraty: Lula supports South Africa's complaint against Israel

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed Brazil's support for the complaint filed by South Africa against Israel on December 29, 2023, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The African country accuses Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The support information was announced by the Itamaraty Palace, in press releasehours after the president receive the Palestinian ambassador in BrazilIbrahim Alzeben, to discuss the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

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After more than three months of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which began on October 7 last year, with attacks by the Hamas group against Israeli and foreign civilians, the Israeli reaction left a trail of more than 22,000 dead in Gaza, most of them women. and children.

“President Lula recalled Brazil's immediate condemnation of the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. He reiterated, however, that such acts do not justify the indiscriminate, recurring and disproportionate use of force by Israel against civilians. There are already more than 23 thousand dead, of which 70% are women and children, and there are 7 thousand people missing. More than 80% of the population was subject to forced transfer and the health, water, energy and food supply systems are collapsed, which characterizes collective punishment”, says the note from Itamaraty.

“In light of the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, the President expressed his support for South Africa's initiative to call on the International Court of Justice to order Israel to immediately cease all acts and measures that may constitute genocide or related crimes under the terms of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”, continues the text.

Still according to the Itamaraty Palace, Lula highlighted, during the meeting with the Palestinian ambassador, the efforts he made personally with other heads of state and government for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages held by Hamas and for the creation of corridors humanitarian aid for the protection of civilians. He highlighted Brazil's role in the Security Council exercise for a diplomatic way out of the conflict.

“The Brazilian government reiterates its defense of the two-State solution, with an economically viable Palestinian State living side by side with Israel, in peace and security, within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders, which include the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital”, concludes the note.