Lula Condemns 'Genocide' in Gaza at BRICS Summit

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva used the platform of the expanded BRICS summit on Sunday to vehemently condemn what he termed an Israeli "genocide" in Gaza, urging global action to halt the conflict. His strong remarks came as truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, intensifying pressure to end the 21-month war.

Addressing leaders from China, India, and other emerging economies, Lula declared, "We cannot remain indifferent to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians and the use of hunger as a weapon of war."

While delivering sharp criticism of Israel's actions, President Lula also unequivocally denounced the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly Israeli civilians. He stated that "absolutely nothing could justify the terrorist actions" of Hamas on that day. However, he swiftly pivoted to highlight the devastating human cost of Israel's subsequent military campaign, which has reportedly killed at least 57,418 people in Gaza, predominantly civilians.

The BRICS summit, held from July 6-7, 2025, focused on "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance." The adopted Rio Declaration underscored the bloc's commitment to multilateralism and reforming global governance for a more equitable and democratic world order. Discussions also covered rebalancing global power dynamics and addressing critical issues like climate finance, artificial intelligence governance, and global health.

In their final summit statement, the leaders called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The expanded BRICS group, now including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and newly admitted Indonesia, continues to solidify its position as a significant voice for the Global South in an increasingly complex international arena.