The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, were involved this weekend in an exchange of accusations that has been intensifying since Friday (10).
On this day, the Colombian head of state suggested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against the Israeli leader for the military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
“Netanyahu will not stop the genocide. Which implies an international arrest warrant from the Criminal Court”, wrote Petro on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
On Saturday (11), the prime minister used the same social network and said that “Israel will not allow itself to receive sermons from an anti-Semitic supporter of Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that massacred, raped, mutilated and burned alive 1,200 innocent people on the 7th of October. Shame on you, President Petro!”
Petro responded by stating that “Semites should not be architects of a genocide because they suffered it. Just as the genocide of the Jewish people in Nazi Europe is unacceptable, so is the current genocide against the Palestinian people.”
“I am not a supporter of Hamas, because I am a supporter of republican, plebeian and secular democracy,” added the president in another message.
The leaders' statements have been harsher since May 1, when Petro announced that Colombia would break diplomatic relations with Israel over its military offensive in Gaza.
At the time, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized the measure and said that the country would continue to “protect its citizens without fear”.
Israel launched a military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the armed group's agents carried out an attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which left more than 1,200 people dead and in which hundreds of people were kidnapped.
Authorities estimate that dozens of them remain in Hamas hands.
After the Hamas attack, Israel's war in Gaza killed more than 35,000 people and caused a humanitarian crisis, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas.
The numbers cannot be confirmed by CNN due to the lack of press access to Palestinian territory.
Although Israel has stated that it has the right to defend itself and that it will destroy Hamas, its military mobilization has also been the target of criticism from the international community and, in particular, the United States, a strategic partner.
The country has threatened to stop arms shipments to Israel if the Israeli government carries out a large-scale invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million people are currently estimated to be sheltering.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
