Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, likening Israel's actions to the Holocaust during World War II.
Speaking to journalists in Addis Ababa, where he attended an African Union summit, Lula stated, "What's happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it's genocide."
He further remarked, "What's happening in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian people has never occurred at any other stage in history.
It has happened before when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."
In a speech delivered to the Arab League last week, da Silva emphasized that there would be no peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
He insisted on recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state and granting it full membership in the United Nations, also advocating for reforms in the UN Security Council.
Da Silva announced that his government would provide new aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is facing a financial crisis following Israel's claim that 12 out of 13,000 employees were involved in the October 7 attack.
He stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the recent accusations against UNRWA staff to prevent disruption of the agency's work and urged other countries to continue and increase their assistance.
Later on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated he would summon the Brazilian ambassador to rebuke him for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's critical remarks on Israel's conduct in the conflict with Gaza.
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