AhlulBayt News Agency: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has strongly condemned Israel, accusing it of committing “premeditated genocide” in Gaza and asserting that the ongoing violence is not a war but sheer genocide against Palestinians.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, Lula criticized Israel’s military actions, nearly three years after the start of its war in Gaza.
“(It is) a premeditated genocide from a far-right regime that is waging war, including against the interests of its own people,” Lula declared.
“What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It’s genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,” he emphasized, adding, “We see genocide unfold under our eyes day after day. It’s no longer possible to accept.”
His remarks come as Israel continues its military campaign, targeting Palestinian civilians in besieged Gaza with air and artillery strikes.
Macron, for his part, stated that the “coming days” would be decisive in efforts to end the aggression in Gaza, adding, “We will ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire.”
France is set to co-host a United Nations conference in New York later this month, alongside Saudi Arabia, focusing on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The French president also expressed hope that the conference would take steps “towards recognizing Palestine.”
Macron has refrained from using the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s war in Gaza, stating last month that it was not for a political leader to use the term but up to historians to do so when the time comes.
Meanwhile, the US-Israeli military campaign, which began in October 2023, has resulted in the deaths of over 54,670 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.
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