CAIRO – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Feb 15 that the United Nations has failed to resolve international conflicts and harshly criticised Israeli actions in Gaza.
“Israel’s behaviour has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children,” he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Speaking later to the Arab League, Mr Lula said Brazil had condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct 7, but he added that Israel’s response was “disproportional and indiscriminate” and unacceptable.
Mr Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“The killing must be stopped,” he said.
The Brazilian leader said Palestine should be recognised as a sovereign state and admitted to the UN as a full member, and he called for reform of the UN Security Council.
“The multilateral institutions that were created to help solve these problems do not work, which is why Brazil is committed to making the necessary changes in global governance bodies, and we hope to count on Egypt’s support,” he said to reporters alongside Mr Sisi.
Mr Lula said the permanent Security Council should be expanded and its veto powers abolished.
“It is the permanent members of the Security Council that foment wars,” he said.
Brazil has supported South Africa’s case brought before the International Court of Justice against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, he added.
The leftist President, who is on his third non-consecutive term, also announced his government will make a new contribution to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which is facing a cash crunch after Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct 7 attack.
“The recent allegations against the agency’s staff need to be properly investigated, but they cannot paralyse it,” he said, calling other countries “to maintain and increase their contributions”. REUTERS
