Brazil's President Lula Denounces Gaza 'Genocide' at BRICS Summit

At the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strongly condemned what he described as an Israeli “genocide” in Gaza. Speaking to leaders from 11 emerging BRICS+ nations, Lula urged the global community to take action to stop the ongoing conflict. He cited the large-scale killing of civilians—over 57,418 deaths, mostly non-combatants—as well as Israel’s use of hunger as a weapon of war. Lula’s remarks coincided with the resumption of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, as international pressure builds to end the 21-month-long conflict that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

While acknowledging that Hamas’s actions, which killed 1,219 people (mostly Israeli civilians), were unjustifiable and constituted acts of terrorism, Lula also heavily criticized Israel’s disproportionate military response. He highlighted the devastating human toll in Gaza, questioning the legitimacy and morality of Israel's military campaign. His comments reflect a growing frustration among developing nations over what they see as unchecked aggression and the failure of major global powers to bring about peace or accountability.

The BRICS nations—originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—have expanded to include several more countries, including Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The 2025 summit is the first to feature these new members, including Indonesia. BRICS leaders met at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art to discuss a wide range of global issues, including the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Israeli strikes on Iran, and broader global governance reforms.

One key issue highlighted during the summit was the internal disagreement within BRICS over how strongly to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza and its bombing of Iran. Despite these differences, the group presented a united front in calling for reforms to traditional Western-led global institutions like the G7 and G20. Lula stressed that BRICS is emerging as a counterbalance to the polarized global order dominated by Western powers and compared it to the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement—a bloc of developing nations that refused to side with either the US or the Soviet Union.

“BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement,” Lula told the gathered leaders, adding that in today’s increasingly divided world, multilateralism is under attack and the autonomy of developing nations is once again at risk. He positioned BRICS as a defender of diplomacy, cooperation, and sovereignty in contrast to the unilateralism seen in parts of the West.

The summit saw participation from several heads of state, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, key figures were absent—Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his prime minister instead, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended virtually due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him.

Despite these absences, the summit marked a significant moment for BRICS as a rising global coalition. Over 30 countries have expressed interest in joining the bloc either as full members or strategic partners, signaling BRICS’s growing influence in shaping future global diplomacy and economic policy.