Brazil's Lula calls out Israel for "killing innocent people without any criteria"
SHAH ALAM - Brazil's president on Monday accused Israel of "killing innocent people without any criteria" in the Gaza Strip, deeming its actions there "as grave" as the Oct 7 offensive by Palestine’s Hamas armed wing.
"After the act of terrorism provoked by Hamas, the consequences, the solution of the state of Israel, is as grave as that of Hamas. They are killing innocent people without any criteria," said Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at an official ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil.
He also accused Israel of "dropping bombs where there are children, hospitals, on the pretext that a terrorist is there."
The leader of Latin America's largest country stated that this was inexplicable.
“First you have to save the women and children, then you fight with whomever you want," he added.
Lula’s remarks drew criticism from representatives of Brazil’s Jewish community where they said it was "erroneous", "unfair" and "dangerous" by putting Israel and Hamas on the same level. They even went on to say such efforts by the Israeli authorities was actually "to save Palestinian civilians".
"Our community expects balance from our authorities," added the Israeli Confederation of Brazil, which claims to represent some 120,000 Brazilian Jews, the second largest community in the region, in a statement.
Hamas’ military wing known as Al-Qassam Brigades had carried out a surprise operation on to the southern border of Palestine where Israel claimed to have killed 1,200 people while some 240 people have been taken hostage.
Since then, the Israel forces pounded Gaza relentlessly killing at least 11,240 Palestinians including 4,600 children, at least 40 journalists, 198 medical staff, 130 teachers and school administrators as well as 102 United Nations staff.
More than 28,000 people have been injured including 8,600 children. At least 3,250 people have been reported missing and still under the rubble including 1,700 children.
Two of the largest hospitals in Gaza – al-Shifa and al-Quds - have been forced to close after running out of fuel. At al-Shifa, dozens of premature babies in need of intensive care were forced out of their incubators after electricity was shut down. As of Nov 13, at least six babies have died.
However, Israel denies deliberately targeting hospitals and have accused Hamas of using these facilities, or the tunnels beneath them, as hideouts. Hamas has denied this.
Lula's comments came as he welcomed to Brasilia 22 Brazilians and 10 members of their families who had been evacuated from Gaza on Sunday via the land border with Egypt, after more than a month of waiting in the conflict zone.
