BRICS Issues Communiqué Following Extraordinary Meeting on Middle East
On November 21, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the current chair of BRICS -- Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa -- convened a virtual Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Leaders from those countries joining BRICS in 2024 -- Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also took part. UN Secretary General António Guterres also participated in the meeting. The meeting issued a joint communique on the situation in Gaza.
"We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities," the BRICS joint communique said. BRICS called for objective investigations by competent bodies to hold all parties accountable. Acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians were condemned, "including war crimes, indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement, and destruction," the text reads. "We stressed the need to pursue accountability. We must ensure that independent and transparent investigations are conducted in accordance with international standards," the joint communique reads.
BRICS "condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land." Many Leaders reiterated that the forced transfer and deportation of Palestinians, whether inside Gaza or to neighbouring countries, constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and war crimes and violations under International Humanitarian Law. The communiqué also cautioned against "the spillover of the crisis in the region" and called on countries that have influence on the parties of the conflict to use it to "work towards this objective."
In his opening remarks, President Ramaphosa emphasized, that "the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime" and that "the deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide." He said the root cause of this conflict is the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that "Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation under international law."
The BRICS communiqué outlined immediate actions that international community was called upon to take:
- First, an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
- Second, the opening of humanitarian corridors so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need.
- Third, all countries to exercise restraint and to desist from fuelling this conflict, including by ceasing the supply of weapons to the parties.
- Fourth, the release of all civilian hostages.
- Fifth, the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue led and owned by Palestinians and Israelis themselves and facilitated by the United Nations.
- Sixth, the deployment of a UN Rapid Deployment Force in Palestine, with a mandate to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.
- Lastly, the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for the perpetration of war crimes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for de-escalation, a ceasefire and a political solution. "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," Putin said. He held the U.S. primarily responsible for the current situation. Putin said the latest escalation, which has already led to the "deaths of thousands of people," has come as a result of the United States' desire to single-handedly decide the fate of the political crisis between Israel and Palestine. Washington has sought to "monopolize the role of the mediator" while blocking the efforts of other international actors, the Russian president stated. UN decisions envisaging the establishment of "two independent sovereign states -- Israel and Palestine," ended up being sabotaged, Putin added.
China's President Xi Jinping called on the parties to stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent the loss of more lives and spare people from more miseries. Xi said humanitarian corridors must be kept secure and unimpeded, and more humanitarian assistance should be provided to the population in Gaza. He said the international community must act with practical measures to prevent the conflict from spilling over and endangering stability in the Middle East as a whole. He emphasized that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. President Xi proposed convening an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva thanked South African President Ramaphosa for convening the meeting and welcomed the presence of the representatives of the countries joining BRICS next year. He said "The high number of deaths (more than 12,000 people, including 5,000 children) causes us great consternation" and emphasized that when presiding over the UN Security Council "Brazil spared no effort in favour of dealing with the humanitarian emergency, containing the current escalation and resuming a lasting solution to the conflict."
India was represented by its Foreign Minister Subrahmanayam Jaishankar who said, "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering, including to civilians, elderly, women and children. We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released. We believe that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law." He also identified the need "for restraint and immediate humanitarian support," as well as "peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy."
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that those who seek freedom across the world expect all the governments, especially BRICS member states, to cut off political, economic and military relations with the Zionist regime. He urged the need for collective measures by BRICS members to break the siege of Gaza and to create a safe and permanent way into Gaza for the dispatch of humanitarian supplies. He called on the BRICS members to initiate a binding resolution in the UN General Assembly against the Zionist regime. The Zionist regime, he said, has to be identified as a terrorist regime and its army must be labelled a terrorist organization.
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 26 - November 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS532610.HTM
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