Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The fallout of the ongoing Hamas-Israel war has not surfaced only in those countries where the Muslims have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian terror groups, taken out massive parades, and pressured their respective governments to favor the Palestinian cause, it has also started sucking in nations far away from the Middle East.
According to a report in the Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which itself has been blocked out by Tel Aviv, South American nation Bolivia has cut ties with Israel, and two more Latin American countries—Colombia and Chile—have recalled their envoys from the Jewish nation for ‘consultations.’
These countries have blamed Israel for its ‘disproportionate’ attack on the Gaza Strip and reiterated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire.
Bolivia “decided to break diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip,” Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said at a press conference on Tuesday night.
Minister of the Presidency Maria Nela Prada also announced the country would send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“We demand an end to the attacks” in the Gaza Strip “which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she said.
On Wednesday, Israel accused Bolivia of “capitulation to terrorism and the Ayatollah regime in Iran”.
In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry also sought to play down Bolivia’s decision, saying “relations between the countries had been devoid of content anyway” since Luis Arce was sworn in as President in the South American country.
Hamas, the group running the besieged Gaza Strip, welcomed Bolivia’s decision and urged Arab countries that have normalized their relations with Tel Aviv to do the same.
Neighbours Colombia and Chile also recalled their ambassadors for consultations condemning the deaths of civilians in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire.
Historically, Latin America’s left-leaning countries have sympathized with the Palestinian cause, while the more right-wing countries have tended to follow the lead of the United States.
Writing on social media site X, Chilean President Gabriel Boric accused Israel of “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law” and following a policy of “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza, as he announced the recall of Ambassador Jorge Carvajal.
Chile has the largest, and one of the oldest, Palestinian communities outside the Arab world.
Also writing on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the attacks a “massacre of the Palestinian people.”
Some other Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have also called for a ceasefire.
Bolivia is among the first nations to announce the end of diplomatic relations with Israel over its war in Gaza, which came after the armed terror group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 people captive. At least 13 citizens from several Latin American countries were among the dead, and 21 more remain missing.
At least 8,525 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel’s current war in Gaza.
In 2009, Bolivia cut diplomatic ties with Israel, also in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, and restored relations in 2020.
About 2.3 million people live in Gaza and United Nations officials say more than 1.4 million of them have been made homeless by Israel’s relentless bombardment.