Leaders of major emerging economies within the BRICS group-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-convened in a virtual summit chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The leaders collectively called for an end to Israel's war on Gaza and a cessation of hostilities on both sides to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as per Aljazeera.
BRICS Summit Calls for Ceasefire in Palestine-Israel Conflict
From L to R) President of Comoros Azali Assoumani (L), South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Presidnet of China Xi Jinping, and Senegalese President Macky Sall attend the China-Africa Leaders' Roundtable Dialogue on the last day of the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023.
During the summit, the BRICS grouping denounced attacks on civilians in both Palestine and Israel, condemning the forced displacement of Palestinians, both within Gaza and beyond its borders, as "war crimes."
The joint statement released on Tuesday also called for the release of all illegally held civilians and advocated for a humanitarian truce leading to a halt in hostilities, with the UN Secretary-General's office endorsing the statement.
While the BRICS statement conveyed a unified stance, it also revealed nuanced differences among member countries. South Africa strongly criticized Israel compared to China, Brazil, and Russia, with India maintaining a more reserved approach.
In his address to the conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an immediate cease-fire, denouncing what he termed as Israel's "collective punishment" of Gazan civilians and urging the international community to intervene to prevent the conflict from escalating. President Xi referenced China's recent veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution affirming Israel's right to defend itself.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, also advocating for a cease-fire, emphasized the potential role of BRICS states, alongside regional nations, in finding a political solution to the conflict. Despite Moscow's muted support for Israel after a Hamas attack on October 7, President Putin underscored the importance of BRICS engagement in resolving the crisis, according to The New York Times.
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South African President Denounces Israel's "War Crimes"
Host President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned Israel's conduct as a violation of international law, labeling it a "war crime" for the "collective punishment" of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force.
Ramaphosa went further, describing the deliberate denial of essential resources to Gaza residents as "tantamount to genocide." Last week, South Africa referred Israel to the International Criminal Court, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador and the South African parliament voted to close the Israeli embassy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India should have addressed the gathering, leaving India's position unclear. However, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the need for urgent humanitarian aid without commenting on Israel's actions. Jaishankar highlighted the immense human suffering caused by the ongoing conflict and called for international efforts toward de-escalation.
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, termed the war a "humanitarian catastrophe" and criticized Hamas's attacks as "barbaric." While avoiding the term genocide, he asserted that such attacks did not justify the use of "indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians," emphasizing the disproportionate impact on women, children, and the elderly.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Qatar-mediated four-day truce in Gaza, accompanied by the release of 50 captives. As part of the agreement, 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails are set to be freed. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 14,000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza, with the official death toll in Israel from Hamas attacks standing at about 1,200, Outlook reported.
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