Lula hopes deal leads to peace between Israel, Palestine
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (Nov. 22) welcomed the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas for the release of hostages. “I hope this agreement can pave the way for a lasting political solution to this conflict and for the resumption of the peace process between Israel and Palestine,” he said during the G20 Virtual Summit, which marked the end of India’s presidency of the bloc.
Hamas announced today that the truce in Gaza will come into effect at 5 am this Thursday. A representative of the movement’s political wing, Musa Abou Marzouk, said the group “is prepared for a global ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners.”
The agreement involves the release of 50 hostages by Hamas in exchange for a temporary four-day truce in the bombardment of the Gaza Strip and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners by Israel.
G20
On December 1, Brazil is set to take over the leadership of the G20—a group that brings together 19 of the world’s largest economies plus the European Union. The African Union also became a permanent member during the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place in New Delhi, India, in August.
In a speech at today’s summit, President Lula spoke about the complexity of global problems, and recalled that among Brazil's priorities at the G20 is the strengthening of global governance in a bid “to deal with old and new issues.”
“Geopolitical rivalries persist, the global economy slows down, and the consequences of climate change follow one another. The resurgence of the conflict in the Middle East adds to the multiple crises we were already facing,” he said.
“This set of challenges will require political will and determination from the governments and leaders of all countries, as well as international organizations. Through dialog, we must put the world back on the path to peace and prosperity. The G20 has a central role to play,” the Brazilian president went on to say.
