Brazil aims to prevent escalation of conflict, Lula says

Brazil hopes to prevent escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday, after his country called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the crisis.

Diplomats said the council is due to meet on Sunday.

Brazil, which assumed the Security Council’s rotating presidency this month, condemned the violence that killed dozens of people.

A statement from the South American country’s Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed a commitment to a “two-state solution,” with Palestinians and Israelis coexisting within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.

“Brazil will spare no effort to prevent an escalation of the conflict, during its tenure as President of the UN Security Council,” Lula wrote on the social media platform X.

“The Brazilian government reiterates that there is no justification for resorting to violence, especially against civilians, and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent an escalation of the situation,” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said.

It added that “the mere management of the conflict is not a viable alternative for addressing the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and the resumption of peace negotiations is urgent.”