A picture taken from Israel s southern city of Sderot shows smoke billowing during an Israeli airstrike on the northern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. AFP
"Just because Hamas committed a terrorist attack against Israel doesn't mean Israel has to kill millions of innocents," Brazilian President said in his weekly live address on social media.
Lula, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said the conflict had exposed the "weakness" of the United Nations.
"If the UN were stronger, it could play a bigger role" in brokering a stop to the fighting, he said.
Lula called for talks to set up a humanitarian corridor for the besieged Gaza Strip and broker a peace deal in which "Israel keeps its territory and the Palestinians have theirs."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law as Israel pounds Gaza, and urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring in relief.
"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law." Guterres told a Security Council session, without explicitly naming Israel.
Israel has continued its intense bombardment of Gaza for 18 consecutive days, killing over 5,000 Palestinians, including approximately 2,000 children.
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