Colombian President Gustavo Petro draws parallels between Jesus Christ’s suffering and the plight of Palestinians. Israel continues to carry out relentless attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip. In the ongoing assault that has lasted for 18 months, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. Alongside the attacks, Israel has also imposed a full blockade on Gaza.
As a result, many people in Gaza are facing famine. In this situation, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has compared the suffering of the Palestinians to the pain endured by Jesus Christ. At the same time, he condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza.
This information was reported by the news agency Anadolu on Saturday (April 19).
According to Anadolu, late Friday night local time, President Petro strongly criticized Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, labeling them a “bloody genocide” and likening the Palestinians’ suffering to the pain experienced by Jesus Christ during his passion and crucifixion.
Petro made this statement in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on the occasion of the Christian Holy Week. He wrote:
“At this time of Jesus’ passion and death, let us remember the Palestinians — the people of the land he came from — who are now victims of a bloody genocide.”
Anadolu reports that Petro’s remarks on X were in response to a post highlighting Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who is reportedly in critical condition after being severely tortured while in Israeli custody.
Dr. Safiya was detained by Israeli forces earlier this year, and since then, human rights organizations and local media have expressed deep concern, accusing Israel of brutal torture against him.
President Petro has previously labeled Israel’s military operations in Gaza as war crimes and has consistently expressed sympathy and support for the Palestinian people.
Moreover, Petro’s latest remarks, made during the observance of the Christian Holy Week, add further symbolic weight to his statement.
However, the Israeli government has rejected the genocide allegations, claiming that its operations target only Hamas “terrorists” and not ordinary civilians or medical personnel.