Lula holds call with Israeli president after sharp criticism of Israel

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held telephone conversations with his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, especially addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the hostages held by Hamas, following Lula's sharp criticism of Israel's response to the attack by the Palestinian Islamic movement. 

Lula strongly criticized Israel's response to Hamas' attack on its territory on October 7th, which led to the ongoing conflict between the two parties, considering them as "dangerous" in response to the Palestinian Islamic movement's attacks. 

The leftist president explained in a post on the X platform, "I held (telephone) talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog regarding the release of Hamas hostages and the evacuation of Brazilians from Gaza." 

He expressed "his great concern about the extremely dangerous humanitarian crisis in Gaza" and "his shock at the human losses, especially among children." 

The Brazilian presidency statement stated that Lula pledged to Herzog to "intensify" his call for the release of hostages held by Hamas, mentioning his discussions on this matter with the leaders of Iran, Egypt, and the Palestinian National Authority. 

A source in the Brazilian presidency confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the tone dominating the talks between Lula and Herzog was "very friendly" despite Lula's recent statements. 

AFP