The hostage problem | Lula da Silva spoke with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog

2023-11-18 05:01:00

The Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, spoke this Thursday with his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, about the “liberation” of the hostages in the hands of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and his “concern” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, after their criticism of the Israeli bombings. “I spoke (by phone) with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, about the release of the Hamas hostages and the repatriation of Brazilians from the Gaza Strip,” said the president on platform X. The Brazilian leader also expressed his “great concern with the very serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its dismay with the loss of life, particularly of children,” the Presidency said in a statement.

According to the note, Lula committed to Herzog’s request to “reinforce the call” for the release of those kidnapped by Hamas, recalling his conversations on the matter with Middle East leaders, including Iran, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Lula reiterated that he “continues to be convinced” of the two-state solution, “with Israel and Palestine living side by side, with secure and mutually accepted borders.” The tone of the conversation was “very friendly,” said a presidential source. In a series of statements this week, Lula accused Israel of committing “several acts of terrorism,” killing “children” and “innocents” in its bombings, “without any criteria.” “Israel’s solution has been as serious as Hamas’s,” he said.