“Intolerable:” Brazil repudiates massacre of starving Palestinians

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations on Friday (Mar. 1) repudiated the killing “by shooting, trampling, or running over” of more than 100 Palestinians who were crowding around humanitarian aid trucks in the Gaza Strip. The incident was described as an “intolerable situation, which goes far beyond the necessary determination of accountability for yesterday’s deaths and injuries.”

“The Netanyahu government has once again shown, through its actions and statements, that military action in Gaza has no ethical or legal limits. And it is up to the international community to put a stop to it in order to prevent further atrocities. With every day of hesitation, more innocent people will die. Humanity is failing the civilians of Gaza,” the note reads.

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In addition to the 110 Palestinians killed, it is estimated that between 280 and 750 people were injured in the massacre, according to different estimates. The Gaza authorities attribute the massacre to the Israeli military. Israel has disputed the report, saying that many were trampled or run over while seeking humanitarian aid, but acknowledged that the military opened fire on the scene against a crowd because they felt threatened.

Images circulating on social networks and TV stations show dozens of dead in trucks and the desperation of survivors in Gaza City, in the north of the enclave. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres called for an independent investigation into the massacre.

“Cynical and offensive”

The text also draws attention to “cynical and offensive” statements made by senior Israeli officials to victims of the massacre. According to the ministry, these statements should “be the last straw for anyone who truly believes in the value of human life.”

The Brazilian government was referring to statements by Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who gave “full support” to the murder of starving Palestinians in Gaza and said the Israeli military action against the starving crowd was “excellent” and also called for an end to humanitarian aid.

“The transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza is not only madness while our abductees are being held in the Strip under substandard conditions, but also endangers the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers too. This is another clear reason why we must stop transferring this aid, which is actually aid to harm IDF soldiers and oxygen to Hamas,” the Israeli minister declared.

Ceasefire

The statement published by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry also says that these gatherings around humanitarian aid trucks “demonstrate the desperate situation to which the civilian population of the Gaza Strip is subjected and the difficulties in obtaining food in the territory.”

The Brazilian government recalled that UN authorities and humanitarian aid experts have been denouncing for months the systematic retention of trucks at the borders with Gaza, as well as the growing hunger affecting civilians.

“Even so, the inaction of the international community in the face of this humanitarian tragedy continues to serve as a veiled incentive for the Netanyahu government to keep targeting innocent civilians and ignoring basic rules of international humanitarian law,” the Brazilian ministry stated.

“Brazil reiterates the absolute urgency of a ceasefire and the effective entry into Gaza of humanitarian aid in adequate quantities, as well as the release of all hostages,” the statement adds.

*With information from international agencies