Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused Israel of “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza on Monday, responding to Israel’s decision to impose a “full siege” on the territory. This action led United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to express “grave concern” about its potential repercussions.
Maduro conveyed the statement on television, saying, “The Secretary-General of the United Nations issued a statement, which we carefully read, as a warning and alert about the genocide that has begun against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
In his statement, Guterres recognized Israel’s “legitimate concerns about its security” while expressing “grave concern” about Israel’s decision to impose a “tight blockade” on Gaza.
The Venezuelan president remarked, “We have witnessed in the past massacres and brutal atrocities against the Palestinian people,” characterizing the current situation as a “new apartheid system” against Palestinians.
Maduro further stated, “We demand an immediate ceasefire, respect for United Nations resolutions, respect for the rights of peoples, and the commencement of peace negotiations to allow the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate rights to independence, land, and peace.”
He added, “I stand with the Palestinian people, and I stand for peace.”
In 2009, Maduro’s predecessor, the late President Hugo Chávez, accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza following an Israeli offensive against the territory at the end of 2008.