Brazil’s Lula says ‘trauma’ left by Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza will last generations
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- Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the killing of women and children in Gaza, saying Palestinians will carry the trauma of the war for generations.
- He defended UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and warned that settlement expansion in the West Bank is undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the war in the Gaza Strip during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, saying generations of Palestinians will carry the trauma left by what he described as genocide.
Lula said Palestinians “will carry the pain and trauma left by the genocide of women and children perpetrated by Netanyahu’s government in Gaza,” according to translated statements from his speech.
He also said Israeli civilians “pay the price for radicalism and intolerance of Hamas terrorist acts,” linking the suffering of civilians on both sides to the broader conflict.
Lula called for the protection of UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese, saying she should not “be silenced for telling the truth.”
Albanese has faced criticism and pressure over her statements and reporting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Her mandate focuses on investigating and reporting on human rights violations in the territory.
Lula also condemned settlement expansion in the West Bank, describing the settlements as “making the two-state solution increasingly unviable.”
He said a two-state solution remains essential for Israelis and Palestinians to live in safety.
The United Nations has repeatedly reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution, while General Assembly resolutions have described Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal under international law.
Lula delivered his remarks during the opening day of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, whose general debate runs from September 22–26 and resumes on September 28.
