Brazil’s Lula Welcomes Citizens Rescued from Gaza, Condemns ‘Inhumane Violence’ 

Brazilian citizens, who were repatriated from the Gaza Strip, are greeted by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva upon arrival at the Air Force base of Brasilia, Brazil November 13, 2023. (Reuters)
Brazilian citizens, who were repatriated from the Gaza Strip, are greeted by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva upon arrival at the Air Force base of Brasilia, Brazil November 13, 2023. (Reuters)
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Brazil’s Lula Welcomes Citizens Rescued from Gaza, Condemns ‘Inhumane Violence’ 

Brazilian citizens, who were repatriated from the Gaza Strip, are greeted by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva upon arrival at the Air Force base of Brasilia, Brazil November 13, 2023. (Reuters)
Brazilian citizens, who were repatriated from the Gaza Strip, are greeted by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva upon arrival at the Air Force base of Brasilia, Brazil November 13, 2023. (Reuters)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday welcomed 32 nationals that his government managed to rescue from the Gaza Strip this week following a month of negotiations, receiving them at the Brasilia Air Base after a nearly day-long flight.

The Brazilians crossed the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday and were taken to Cairo, where this morning they boarded an Embraer presidential airplane loaned by Lula and traveled to Brazil via Las Palmas, Spain.

Lula greeted passengers with hugs and kisses after their arrival late on Monday evening, offering his support to Brazilians still in or arriving from the Gaza Strip and condemning the killing of civilians in Gaza.

"I have never seen such brutal, inhumane violence against innocent people," Lula said in a short speech on the tarmac.

The flight was the tenth in an operation launched by the South American country last month to repatriate citizens in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after a war broke out in the region last month.

Monday's flight brings the total of those rescued to 1,477 people, including three Bolivians, 11 Palestinians and one Jordanian citizen, as well as 53 pets.

The Gaza Strip has been under bombardment by Israel, which aims to annihilate Hamas, the militant group which runs the Gaza Strip and which attacked Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people.

Gaza medical authorities say more than 11,000 people there have been confirmed killed, with about 40% of them being children.

Lula echoed earlier criticisms of both Hamas for its attack against Israel and Israel for its reaction.

"If Hamas committed an act of terrorism and did what it did, the state of Israel is also committing several acts of terrorism by not taking into account that children are not at war, that women are not at war," he said.



Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Türkiye Says It Is Closely Monitoring PKK Disbandment to Secure Peace 

A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)
A protester waves a flag bearing a portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) jailed in Türkiye since 1999, during a demonstration calling for his release in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 15, 2025. (AFP)

Türkiye is closely monitoring any attempts to undermine its peace initiative with the PKK, a senior official said Tuesday, following the militant Kurdish group’s announcement that it is dissolving and ending its decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by several, announced the historic decision on Monday months after its imprisoned leader called for the group to formally disband and disarm — a move that could bring an end to one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies.

In making the call, the PKK leader stressed the need for securing Kurdish rights through negotiation rather than armed struggle.

Previous peace efforts with the group have failed, most recently in 2015. Given the past failures, a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed determination to uphold the current initiative and prevent any disruptions.

“We are closely following attempts to sabotage the process and we will not allow anyone to test our state’s determination in this regard,” Fahrettin Altun, the head of the Turkish presidential communications office said.

The PKK initially launched its struggle with the goal of establishing an independent Kurdish state. Over time, it moderated its objectives toward autonomy and greater Kurdish rights within Türkiye. The conflict, which has spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began in the 1980s.

The latest peace effort, which the government has labeled “Terror-Free Türkiye” was launched in October, after a key ally of Erdogan suggested parole for PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan if the PKK renounces violence and disbands.

Officials have not disclose details about the process that will follow the PKK’s decision.

Media close to the government have reported that the PKK’s disarmament process is expected to take three to four months, with weapons being collected at designated locations in northern Iraq under official supervision.

According to Hurriyet newspaper, the disarmament could be overseen jointly by Türkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq or through a commission involving Türkiye, the United States, European Union nations and Iraq.

The newspaper also suggested that high-ranking PKK members may be relocated to third countries, while lower-ranking militants without arrest warrants could return to Türkiye once a legal framework is established to facilitate their reintegration.

Turkish officials have not responded to requests for comment on the report.

Analysts expect Ocalan to see improved prison conditions following the PKK's disbandment.

Erdogan said Monday the PKK’s declaration should apply to all PKK-affiliated groups, including Kurdish groups in Syria.

The Kurdish fighters in Syria have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously said Ocalan’s call for a dissolution does not apply to his group in Syria.

The group then reached an agreement with the central government in Damascus for a nationwide ceasefire and its merger into the Syrian army. Despite the deal, Kurdish officials in Syria later declared their desire for a federal state, sparking tensions with the Syrian government.

Some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.