South Africa accused Israel on December 29th of carrying out a systematic and intentional elimination of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Brazil’s support for South Africa was announced in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Lula da Silva received the Palestinian ambassador to Brazil, Ibrahim Alzeben, to discuss the situation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Lula recalled Brazil’s immediate condemnation of Hamas’ aggressions, however, he reiterated that such acts do not justify the indiscriminate, recurrent and disproportionate use of force by Israel against civilians.

There are more than 23 thousand dead, of which 70 percent are women and children, and seven thousand people are missing, the official statement emphasizes, which also reveals that “more than 80 percent of the population (in Gaza) was subjected to forced displacement, and the health, water, energy and food supply systems are collapsed, which characterizes collective punishment.”

In light of the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, Lula expressed his support for South Africa’s initiative to activate the ICJ so that Israel “immediately cease all acts and measures that may constitute genocide or related crimes under the Convention for the Prevention and Suppression of the Crime of Genocide.”

Lula also highlighted during the meeting with the Palestinian ambassador the efforts he made personally with other heads of State and Government for the ceasefire, the release of the hostages held by Hamas and the creation of humanitarian corridors for the protection of civilians.

“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 upon and internationally recognized borders, which includse the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, having East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement concludes.

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