Brazil can lead the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip

Brazil could be the leader of a reconstruction project of the Gaza Strip, the target of constant bombardment by the military forces of the State of Israel which, since October 7 last year – the date of the attack launched by Hamas against Israeli territory -, has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, including more than 12,000 children.

This is what Palestinian entities and those linked to the cause propose that participated in a public hearing at the Participatory Legislation Committee (CLP) of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday afternoon (24) to discuss the genocide of Palestinians by Israeli military forces. And the Lula government is open to talkingfound the report from Forum

In addition to requesting that the Brazilian government, together with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Arab League, lead the Gaza reconstruction project, to the detriment of the plans of Israel and the United Statesthe representatives of these organizations want President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to personally receive family members of Palestinian victims of Israeli bombings, just as the president did with Israeli families.

The hearing in the Chamber in which these proposals were discussed was attended by parliamentarians, representatives of the Brazil-Palestine Institute (Ibraspal) and the Palestinian Federation in Brazil (Fepal), among other entities, as well as names from Itamaraty, the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, agencies linked to the United Nations (UN) and ambassadors, including the Palestinian ambassador to Brazil, Ibrahim Mohamed Khalil Alzeben.

The federal deputy Padre João (PT-SP)who commanded the hearing after the opening made by the president of the commission, deputy Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ)said that the objective of the meeting would be to draw up plans to raise awareness among Brazilian society about the seriousness of the situation in the Middle East.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza was already difficult before the most recent hostilities carried out by the State of Israel, now it has worsened exponentially according to reports from the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. Several nations and international entities have denounced war crimes and the genocide sponsored by the Israeli Forces in Palestine. In light of this humanitarian tragedy, it is necessary and urgent to debate its implications. Not only with credible information, but to raise awareness in Brazilian society and the Brazilian Parliament about the defense of human rights in the region.”

He was also present at the meeting, Jamal Naim, dean of the faculty of dentistry at Falastinm University, in Gaza, who showed videos and images of the destruction in the region and gave a strong testimony about the massacre perpetrated by Israeli forces. In one of the most tense moments of the event, Naim revealed how he was persecuted after refusing to contribute to the Israeli military: his house was bombed and he lost his mother, three of his relatives and three grandchildren.

“This demonstrates the intentions of massacre and war crimes committed by the Israeli State, as soldiers have tortured those who do not accept recording pro-Israel statements, killed thousands of innocent people, used hunger as a weapon of war, in addition to bombing and destroying structures that have nothing to do with the conflict, just to promote local destruction”, he said.

Ualid Rabahpresident of Fepal, stated, in turn, that Israel has been carrying out ethnic genocide in Palestine for years and all the numbers show that this war is the most lethal in history, defending President Lula’s speech in which he compared the actions of Israelis in Gaza with the Holocaust promoted by the Nazis against the Jewish people.

“What we see is an apartheid regime in the West Bank and a massacre in Gaza that has been aimed at ethnic cleansing against Palestinians for decades,” said Rabah.

Brazil leading reconstruction of Gaza?

During the hearing, representatives of Palestinian entities and those linked to the cause informed that they will propose to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that Brazil use its influence on the international stage to lead, together with the BRICS and the Arab League, a reconstruction project for the Gaza Strip.

The project to be eventually led by Brazil would oppose that presented by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. In January, both stated that they intend to establish a reconstruction plan for Gaza after the conflict. Distrust on the part of Palestinians, however, is widespread.

Carima Atiyel, from Fepal, reaffirmed the need for Brazil to lead the project. According to her, Israel has “bad intentions in wanting to enter Gaza to impose its oppression, restrict and control our people, as imperialism has historically done”, just as is currently the case in the West Bank.

“We do not want a Zionist colonization project intervening in our society, which is why Brazil has relevance on the international scene to lead not only a proposal for peace, for the reconstruction of Gaza, for Palestinian sovereignty and for the recovery of its invaded territory”, he declared.

At the end of the hearing, the entities informed that they intend to meet with President Lula to hand over a proposal formalized by the Participatory Legislation Commission, author of the hearing, with the presence of Itamaraty, the Arab League and the embassies of the countries that make up the BRICS . With this, these organizations hope that Brazil accepts the idea as it would enjoy “neutrality, international weight and would treat the Palestinian people with the necessary dignity, unlike those who beat them and then, with bloody hands, impose domination over the territory” .

To the report from Foruma source linked to Itamaraty, when asked about the entities’ proposal for Brazil to lead the reconstruction of Gaza, reported that the body is “always open to talking about the future of Palestine”, highlighting, however, that the focus of the Lula’s government at this moment is “the present” – that is, the current situation of the conflict in the Middle East.