Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the first plenary session of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP
"We cannot remain indifferent to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians and the use of hunger as a weapon of war," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told leaders from China, India, and other nations, adding that nothing justifies Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.
His comments came as truce talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, amid mounting pressure to end Israel’s 22-month war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and pushed over two million to the brink of famine.
The BRICS gathering includes Israel's arch foe Iran, but also nations like Russia, which have close ties with the country.
BRICS countries have been in disagreement over how strongly to denounce Israel's bombing of Iran and its genocidal war in Gaza.
But one diplomatic source said the text would give the "same message" that BRICS delivered last month.
Then Iran's allies expressed "grave concern" about strikes against Iran, but did not explicitly mention Israel or the United States.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House on Monday for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pushing to end the war and has said he hopes for a ceasefire deal in the coming week.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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