2024-02-15 18:35:12
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Thursday for a ceasefire in the war between the Israeli army and Hamas in Gaza, denouncing “collective punishment” inflicted on the Palestinians.
“We must end this inhumane (war)… Stop this collective punishment,” he said in a speech at a meeting in Cairo of the Arab League Council on the Gaza conflict .
In November, the Brazilian president was very critical of the Israeli response to the bloody attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 in southern Israel, deeming it “as serious” as the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which took power in Gaza in 2007, and its army launched a major offensive that left 28,663 people dead in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the Ministry of Defense. Hamas Health.
According to Israel, 130 hostages are still held in Gaza, 29 of whom are believed to have died, out of around 250 people kidnapped on October 7.
“The most urgent task is to establish a definitive ceasefire allowing the continued delivery of humanitarian aid and the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages” held in Gaza, the Brazilian president said.
The latter was received by the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, for talks relating in particular to the war between Israel and Hamas.
His visit to Cairo coincided with the two countries’ celebration of the centenary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
This is his third trip to Africa since returning to power in January 2023.
He must then go to Addis Ababa, where he must participate on the 17th and 18th as a guest in the annual assembly of the African Union, a summit which brings together the heads of state of 55 countries on this continent.
It will also be an opportunity for him to meet the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, according to Brasilia.
Not to mention that Egypt and Ethiopia are among the new members who have just joined the Brics, a group of emerging countries previously made up only of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Africa from South.
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