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Brazil 'Strongly Condemns' Killing of Hamas Leader

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
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Brazil 'Strongly Condemns' Killing of Hamas Leader

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)

Brazil said Wednesday it "strongly condemns the murder" of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and called for global efforts to prevent the Middle East from sinking into a wider conflict, AFP reported.

Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, said it "rejects the flagrant violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter."

These acts of violence "further hinder the possibilities of a political solution to the conflict in Gaza," the foreign ministry said in a statement, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has said Haniyeh was killed by an Israeli strike. Israel has declined to comment on the attack in Tehran.

In another statement published earlier Wednesday, the Brazilian government also condemned "the air strike carried out by Israel on July 30 on a residential neighborhood in Beirut."

The Israeli army said it had "eliminated" a senior Hezbollah official on Tuesday evening in the strike on the stronghold of the powerful pro-Iranian group, in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

Brazil's foreign ministry said it was following escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah "with extreme concern".

The statement urged the international community to mobilize to "make every possible effort to promote dialogue and contain the escalation of hostilities."

Relations between the Brazilian and Israeli governments are very tense.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and Israel has declared him "persona non grata".

 

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Harris Reiterates Support for Gaza Ceasefire as Conflict Escalates

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
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Harris Reiterates Support for Gaza Ceasefire as Conflict Escalates

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Washington will continue to pressure Israel and other players in the Middle East to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza even as advocates say that the United States has not thus far used its leverage over its ally.

In an interview with CBS news show "60 Minutes," Harris said that diplomatic work with Israel is "an ongoing pursuit," according to a clip released on Sunday.

Harris sidestepped a question in the interview on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a "real close ally."

"I think with all due respect the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people and the answer to that question is yes," Harris said, Reuters reported.

Harris reiterated Washington's position to support Israel's right to self defense against Iran and Iran-backed militant groups like Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.

"Now the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles," Harris said.

"We're not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region including Arab leaders," Harris said.

Washington's occasional condemnation of Israel over the war's civilian death toll has mostly been verbal with no substantive change in policy.

Advocates say Washington has not put pressure on its ally by refusing to put an arms embargo that anti-war protesters around the United States and the world have demanded for months. Protests were also held over the weekend.

President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire plan for Gaza on May 31 but a deal between Israel and Hamas has not been reached due to gaps in exchanges of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and Israel's demand that it maintain presence in a corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has also been separately carrying out a military campaign in Lebanon which in recent days has killed hundreds, wounded thousands and displaced over a million.