2 weeks ago
Colombia President Gustavo Petro announced an extremity to negotiated relations pinch Israel arsenic of Thursday owed to nan warfare pinch Hamas successful Gaza. File photograph by Oliver Contreras/UPI | License Photo
May 1 (UPI) -- Colombia President Gustavo Petro connected Wednesday said he intends to extremity negotiated relations pinch Israel complete its handling of its warfare against Hamas successful Gaza.
Petro said he's ending relations pinch Israel arsenic of Thursday owed to "the girls, nan boys, nan babies who person died dismembered by nan bombs," The Hill reported.
Petro announced his volition during Colombia's yearly May Day ceremony astatine nan cardinal Plaza de Bolivar successful Bogota.
"The times of genocide, of nan extermination of an full people, cannot travel earlier our eyes, earlier our passivity," Petro said, according to nan New York Times.
He said nan decease of Palestine would beryllium nan decease of humanity.
Petro is supporting nan "most barbaric monsters known to man, who burned babies, killed children, raped women and abducted guiltless civilians," Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded successful a translated post connected X.
Katz said Petro will not impact nan semipermanent narration betwixt Colombia and Israel.
"Israel and Colombia ever enjoyed lukewarm ties," Katz said. "Even an anti-Semitic and hateful President will not alteration that."
Katz besides said Israel will proceed to protect its citizens and called Petro's support of Hamas shameful for supporting "Hamas murderers" who willfully massacred guiltless group and committed activity crimes.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says much than 34,000 person died and much than 77,000 person been injured during nan warfare begun aft Hamas militants attacked Israel connected Oct. 7.
The Health Ministry does not bespeak really galore of those killed aliases wounded were Hamas militants, and Israel says nan decease toll is overmuch little than claimed.
The Hamas onslaught killed much than 1,200 Israeli citizens and others, while different 250 were kidnapped, an estimated 99 of whom stay hostages successful Gaza.
Five hostages are U.S. citizens, and U.S. officials opportunity Hamas has nan remains of 3 different U.S. citizens, CBS News reported.
If Petro follows done pinch ending negotiated ties pinch Israel, Colombia would beryllium nan 2nd South American federation to do truthful since nan Oct. 7 onslaught by Hamas.
Bolivia successful November ended its negotiated ties pinch Israel owed to its subject strikes successful Gaza.
