Brazil condemns Israeli attack on UN school that left 40 dead

Israel’s indiscriminate attacks against the Palestinian population continue and have generated a new tragic chapter. On Thursday (6), an air strike hit a United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip. To date, 40 deaths and dozens of injuries have been reported.

This genocidal action was condemned by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE). In a statement, the government said that it “condemns, in the strongest terms, the attack” on the complex that “housed internally displaced people, mostly women and children, who have an indispensable point of support in UNRWA.”

read more: FAO/PAM report warns of risk of death from hunger in Gaza

It was also highlighted that the Israeli military offensive, since the beginning of the war, generated “430 incidents involving UNRWA facilities”, with 455 internally displaced people killed, 1,476 injured in UNRWA facilities, in addition to 180 UN Agency employees killed.

“There is no justification for military attacks on UN facilities. Likewise, densely populated areas should be spared”, says the note.

Finally, the Brazilian government called on the parties involved in the conflict to engage in a plan for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, based on the “proposed agreement currently on the table, presented by US President Joe Biden on 31 last May.”

Joint statement

After the Brazilian note of repudiation issued by the MRE, the government also joined a joint declaration with leaders of 16 other nations with the request for the release of hostages, for a ceasefire and an immediate end to hostilities, with a focus on a two-state solution. .

See the following text:

As leaders of countries deeply concerned about the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including many of our own citizens, we fully support the movement toward a ceasefire and hostage release agreement now on the table and as outlined by President Biden on May 31, 2024. There is no time to waste. We call on Hamas to close this deal, that Israel is ready to move forward, and begin the process of freeing our citizens.

We note that this agreement would lead to an immediate ceasefire and rehabilitation of Gaza, along with security guarantees for Israel and opportunities for a more durable, long-term peace and two-state solution. At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel, as well as Hamas, to make all the final commitments necessary to close this deal and bring relief to the families of our hostages, as well as the people on both sides of this terrible conflict, including the civilian populations. It is time for the war to end and this agreement is the necessary starting point.

Brazil, United States, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom