Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned Israel for carrying out “premeditated genocide” in the besieged Gaza Strip, saying what is happening in the Palestinian territory is not a war but sheer “genocide” perpetrated by the occupying regime against Palestinians.
Lula made the remarks at a joint press conference in Paris with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, nearly three years after the Tel Aviv regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
“(It is) a premeditated genocide from a far-right regime that is waging a war, including against the interests of its own people,” the Brazilian leader said
“What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It’s a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,” Lula stressed, adding, “We see genocide unfold under our eyes day after day. It’s no longer possible to accept.”
His comments come as the Israeli military keeps slaughtering Palestinian civilians in besieged Palestinian territory, as it continues to hit the blockaded territory with air and artillery strikes.
Macron, for his part, said that the “coming days” would be decisive in ending the persisting aggression in Gaza, adding, “We will ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire.”
France is scheduled to co-host a United Nations conference in New York later this month, alongside Saudi Arabia, focusing on a so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The French president also expressed hope that the conference would take steps “towards recognizing Palestine.”
Macron declines to use the word “genocide” to describe the Israeli war in Gaza, claiming last month that it was not for a “political leader to use to term but up to historians to do so when the time comes.”
This is while the US-Israeli genocide, which began in October 2023, has so far claimed the lives of over 54,670 Palestinians. Most of the victims are women and children.
