During a BRICS summit meeting hosted by South Africa, India stood as a minority within the group regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. South Africa, holding the BRICS chair, took the lead in strongly criticizing Israel, with President Cyril Ramaphosa stating that the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians by Israel is a war crime. He went on to describe the denial of essential resources to Gaza residents as tantamount to genocide.
While China, Russia, and Brazil also expressed their criticism of Israel, India maintained a more balanced approach, condemning both terrorism and the war. During the BRICS "extraordinary meeting," Prime Minister Narendra Modi was absent, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended on his behalf, signaling India's independent stance on the issue.
India had previously abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, citing the absence of condemnation for Hamas in the text. In contrast, other BRICS nations, including China, had criticized Israel's actions. China had recently vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that affirmed Israel's right to self-defense.
During the BRICS summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a cease-fire and an end to what he termed as Israel's collective punishment in Gaza. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, attributing the crisis to failed U.S. diplomacy. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva labeled the war a humanitarian catastrophe and criticized both Hamas's attacks and Israel's use of disproportionate force against civilians.
The joint statement issued by the BRICS group after the meeting called for the release of illegally held civilians and a humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities. The statement also condemned any forcible transfer or deportation of Palestinians from their land.
It's noteworthy that six countries invited to join BRICS next year—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates—also participated in the conference.
(With Agency Inputs)
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