Response To Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis, Chile Withdraws Military Attaches From Israel
JAKARTA - The Chilean government on Wednesday announced it would withdraw military attaches from their embassy in Israel in response to the humanitarian crisis that is engulfing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Thursday, May 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) Chile said the decision had been submitted to Israeli authorities.
The ministry said the decision was made after observing the dire conditions in Gaza as a result of the Israeli attack and blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
Chile has specifically highlighted "Israeli military operations that are disproportionate and indiscriminate" and "continuous obstacles" carried out by Israel so that humanitarian aid cannot enter the region.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chile website, the officials withdrawn were the Defense and Air Force Attache Colonel Christian Stuardo Nunez, Military Attache Colonel Marcelo Elo Rodriguez, and Navy Attache Captain Pedro Perez Flores.
The latest move confirms the diplomatic tension between Israel and the Chilean government under President Gabriel Boric since his tenure.
SEE ALSO:
In September 2022, Boric refused to receive a credentials from Israeli Ambassador Gil Artzyeli.
In April 2024, Boric did not allow Israel to participate in the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE), which Tel Aviv interpreted as a political sanction and exacerbated relations between the two countries.
In November 2023, Boric withdrew his ambassador from Tel Aviv after Israel bombed a refugee camp in Gaza. He also expressed support for Chilepada South Africa suing Israel at the International Court (ICJ).
In a statement on Wednesday, Chile repeated its demands that Israel stop military operations in Palestinian occupied territories, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and respect international law and international humanitarian law.
Earlier on the same day, at least 24 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which marks the 600th day of the war launched by the Zionist regime in the region.