Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened to break off diplomatic ties with Israel if the country did not comply with a United Nations Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the Associated Press, Petro made the announcement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday (Mar. 26).
Si Israel no cumple la resolución de Naciones Unidas de Cese al Fuego rompemos relaciones diplomáticas con Israel.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 26, 2024
"If Israel does not comply with the United Nations' ceasefire resolution, we will sever diplomatic relations with Israel," the tweet wrote.
Petro made a separate statement on Monday (Mar. 25) in which he celebrated the resolution's approval and urged other nations to suspend ties with Israel if it does not cease its military offensive in Gaza.
In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Petro of being a "supporter of Hamas terrorists" who massacred men, women, and children on Oct. 7, saying that the Colombian chief executive was a "disgrace to the Colombian people."
El apoyo del presidente de Colombia @petrogustavo a los asesinos de Hamás que masacraron y cometieron atroces crímenes sexuales contra bebés, mujeres y adultos es una vergüenza para el pueblo colombiano.
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 26, 2024
Israel seguirá protegiendo a sus ciudadanos y no cederá a ninguna presión ni…
"Israel will continue to protect its citizens and will not give in to any pressure or threats," foreign minister Israel Katz wrote in Spanish.
The confrontation on X signaled a growing deterioration in the relations between both nations, which have gone from being military and commercial partners to becoming bitter ideological rivals.
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Colombia has been using Israeli-built warplanes and other weaponry for decades to fight drug cartels and rebel groups, with both countries recently signing a free trade agreement in 2020.
The South American nation also made multiple contracts with Israel for the provision of military communication equipment and produced assault rifles for its troops under a license from an Israeli manufacturer.
However, Israeli-Colombian relations deteriorated when Petro, a leftist and longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause, was elected to office in 2022.
Petro failed to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas raid on villages in southern Israel, comparing Israeli soldiers to Nazi troops, prompting the Israeli Foreign Ministry to suspend its defense cooperation with Colombia.
In response to Israel's Gaza offensive, which he described as "genocide," he suspended military purchases from Israel after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel allegedly fired on Palestinians gathering around aid trucks, where over 100 people were killed.
Military analysts in Colombia said that the deterioration of relations with Israel would jeopardize the country's defense capabilities.
