By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 2034 EAT on Sunday 6 July 2025

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called on the international community to take urgent action to stop what he described as an Israeli “genocide” in Gaza, as leaders from 11 emerging BRICS nations gathered in Rio de Janeiro.

“We cannot remain indifferent to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza  the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians and the use of hunger as a weapon of war,” Lula told fellow leaders from China, India, and other member states on Sunday.

Lula’s remarks came as truce talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, amid growing international pressure to end the 21-month war that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel.

He acknowledged that “absolutely nothing could justify the terrorist actions” carried out by Hamas on that day, which left 1,219 people dead mostly Israeli civilians.

However, Lula also delivered a sharp condemnation of Israel’s military response, noting that its campaign in Gaza has since killed at least 57,418 people, the majority of them civilians.

Leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro called for the reform of traditional Western-led institutions, positioning BRICS as a champion of multilateral diplomacy in an increasingly divided global landscape.

With forums such as the G7 and G20 often paralysed by geopolitical tensions—and further strained by the disruptive “America First” policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump BRICS’s recent expansion has created new avenues for diplomatic engagement among emerging economies.

In his opening remarks, President Lula likened the group to the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement, which brought together developing nations that chose not to align with either bloc in a polarised global order.

BRICS nations now represent over half of the world’s population and account for 40 percent of global economic output.

The bloc began with Brazil, Russia, India, and China convening for their first summit in 2009. South Africa joined later, and last year, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were added as members. This summit marks the first time Indonesia has participated as a member.

However, some leaders were absent from this year’s gathering. Chinese President Xi Jinping delegated his prime minister to attend on his behalf, while Russian President Vladimir Putin joined virtually due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.

Nonetheless, several heads of state were present for discussions at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art on Sunday and Monday, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

More than 30 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, either as full members or partners.

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