Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for an end to the ongoing Israeli genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, labeling the regime's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal."
Petro made the remarks during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, as he criticized Netanyahu for continuing the bombardment of Gaza.
“It is in this inequality […] that we find the logic of the mass destruction unleashed by the climate crisis and the logic of the bombs dropped by a criminal like Netanyahu on Gaza,” Petro said.
“When Gaza dies, all of humanity will die. Today we have 20,000 dead children,” he added.
Petro hit out at the current world order which allows Israel to bomb Gaza and Lebanon and imposes unilateral sanctions on others.
“The powerful global oligarchy allows bombs to be dropped on Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan, or allows the economic blockade of rebellious countries that do not fit into its domain, such as Cuba and Venezuela,” he said.
He said the power of a nation in the world is "no longer exercised by political and economic power, but by destroying humanity”.
“Those of us who have the power to sustain life speak without being paid attention to. That is why they do not listen to us when we vote to stop the genocide in Gaza. The presidents who can destroy humanity do not listen to us,” he said.
On Sunday, Petro rejected accusations of being anti-Semitic over his pro-Palestine stance, saying anti-Semitism is manifested in the killing of Gaza children and not in speaking against Israel’s ongoing genocide.
He made the remarks after US special envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Deborah Lipstadt claimed that Petro's criticism of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza was “harmful” as it “normalizes” anti-Semitism.
Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 last year after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas conducted Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 41,400 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Over 95,900 Palestinians have also been injured.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said that the treaty provides for various forms of bilateral cooperation.
The comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran has entered into force, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told Sputnik.
"It is already binding," Jalali said when asked about the date of entry into force of the agreement, as well as whether Iran had notified Russia of the completion of internal procedures.
He recalled that the treaty was ratified by both chambers of the Russian parliament, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it. At the same time, the document was ratified by the Iranian parliament, approved by the Guardian Council, and the president issued it as a law.
"Therefore, in both countries it currently has the form of a law and, naturally, has entered into force," Jalali said.
On January 17, Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, met in Moscow to sign the Comprehensive Strategic ...
Defying the United States threats, ministers from more than 30 nations have packed Bogotá’s San Carlos Palace to charge the Israeli regime with genocide over its October 2023-present brutal military assault against the Gaza Strip.
The dramatic display of international solidarity saw dozens of high-ranking officials from across the globe convene inside the stately palace on Tuesday, determined to hold the regime accountable for, what they unequivocally called, a “war of genocide.”
The two-day emergency summit, organized under the auspices of The Hague Group -- a coalition co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa -- had representatives, ranging from such countries as Algeria and Brazil to Pakistan and Spain, in attendance.
The participants described the drive as a coordinated effort to stop the Israeli atrocities.
Behind closed doors, ministers and envoys, meanwhile, engaged in intensive sessions aimed at drafting collective measures to pressure the regime -- steps expected to be unveiled by ...
