Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that his government will break off ties with Israel if its government ignored a United Nations’ Security Council (UNCS) demand to cease fire in the Gaza Strip.
Petro made this announcement a day after the UNCS demanded that Israel’s military suspend ongoing attacks that killed more than 32,000 people in the occupied territory since October last year.
Immediately after the UNCS vote, the Colombian president called on other governments to break off diplomatic ties with Israel if its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ignores the demand.
Netanyahu had already said that his government had no intention to end what the International Court of Justice considers a plausible genocide of Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli government claims it seeks the destruction of Palestinian armed group Hamas, which led a military offensive on Israeli military bases and towns in October last year.
Hamas and other armed groups killed more than 1,100 people in this attack and kidnapped some 240 Israeli soldiers and civilians.
Petro has been a vociferous opponent of Israel’s response to the October attack and has gradually been breaking off the ties between his government and that of Netanyahu.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv in October last year.
Earlier this month, Petro said that he had suspended all arms purchases from Israel, one of the main suppliers of the Colombian security forces.
In response to the president’s latest announcement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Petro’s “support of the Hamas terrorists who massacred and committed horrific sexual crimes against babies, women and adults is a disgrace to the Colombian people,” adding that “Israel will continue to protect its citizens and will not give in to any pressure and threats.”
