In a virtual summit chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the BRICS grouping denounced attacks on civilians in Palestine.

“We condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land,” a chair’s summary read. The group also “reiterated that the forced transfer and deportation of Palestinians, whether inside Gaza or to neighboring countries, constitute grave breaches of the Geneva conventions and war crimes and violations under International Humanitarian Law.”

In his opening statement at the meeting, the current BRICS chair, President Ramaphosa of South Africa, said that Israel’s actions “are in clear violation of international law” and that the “collective punishment of Palestinian civilians by Israel “is a war crime … tantamount to genocide”.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said there was “a need for restraint and immediate humanitarian support”, as well as “peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy”.

Many of the member states, including Russia and Brazil, have previously criticized Israel’s non-stop bombardment and now, ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. China, for its part, this week hosted a delegation of Muslim countries, officials and organizations seeking a ceasefire, including the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Israel for its conduct in the war and said a "long-term and sustainable ceasefire" was key to "prevent other states from being drawn into the war".

"We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work," he said.

BRICS stands for the initial letters of the names of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the five countries that initially formed the bloc to counter the Western hegemony. Iran and five other nations joined the grouping in January 2023.

Source: Agencies