Brasília — Brazil has intensified its confrontation with Israel, announcing a new package of punitive sanctions in direct response to what it officially calls the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.” The announcement, issued late Tuesday, marks the strongest move yet by Latin America’s largest democracy against the Israeli government since the start of the 2023 Gaza conflict.
The sweeping measures include the suspension of diplomatic protocols, the halting of defense procurement, and the revocation of multiple bilateral agreements. Brazilian authorities stated that their action reflects a “moral and legal obligation” to uphold international humanitarian law and respond decisively to mass civilian killings in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The sanctions package follows months of escalating rhetoric from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government, which has not shied away from branding Israeli actions as crimes against humanity. In February 2024, Lula compared Israel’s assault on Gaza to the Holocaust, triggering a diplomatic firestorm that led to Israel expelling the Brazilian ambassador and branding Lula a persona non grata.
With Tuesday’s declaration, Brazil appears to be codifying its moral stance into enforceable policy. The government confirmed the new sanctions will target Israeli state-linked companies, suspend technical cooperation, and block arms-related trade through state-controlled institutions. Further restrictions on Israeli diplomatic activities in Brazil are also under review.
This hardline shift aligns Brasília with the growing coalition of Global South countries demanding accountability for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Brazil is now moving to formally join South Africa’s landmark genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. That case accuses Israel of breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention by systematically targeting civilians, including the bombing of hospitals, refugee camps, and food distribution centers.
Diplomatic sources say Brazil’s decision was heavily influenced by findings from humanitarian organizations detailing starvation, forced displacement, and indiscriminate bombings in Gaza. “We cannot remain complicit through silence or neutrality,” one senior Brazilian diplomat told The Eastern Herald, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The scale and intent of the violence are impossible to ignore.”
President Lula, who has increasingly positioned himself as a voice for the Global South, has repeatedly condemned Western nations for what he calls their “hypocrisy and moral cowardice” in the face of Israeli impunity. His administration’s actions are being closely watched across Latin America, where public opinion has overwhelmingly turned against Israel during the conflict.
The move is likely to exacerbate tensions with the United States and European Union, both of whom continue to back Israel diplomatically and militarily. It may also strain Brazil’s bilateral trade with Israel, which reached over $1.6 billion in 2024. However, Brazilian officials insist the moral calculus outweighs the economic consequences.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its support for international mechanisms to hold Israel accountable, calling on other nations to follow suit and join the genocide case. The Lula government also expressed its commitment to universal jurisdiction laws that would allow Israeli officials to be prosecuted for war crimes if they enter Brazilian territory.
According to Mehr News, the Brazilian government is “preparing to enforce restrictions on all existing cooperation with the Israeli regime,” reinforcing its earlier measures including the withdrawal of its ambassador and the freezing of future diplomatic appointments.
The announcement represents a decisive moment in Brazil’s foreign policy—one that firmly aligns it with Palestine, legal internationalism, and the emerging Global South consensus that Israel must be held accountable for what it views as deliberate atrocities in Gaza.
According to Anadolu, at a high-level meeting on the peaceful resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict held at United Nations headquarters in New York on July 28, 2025, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira delivered a scathing rebuke of merely invoking international law without concrete enforcement.
He asserted that “law must be enforced with results,” and outlined a suite of actionable measures for UN member states: recognizing the State of Palestine and supporting its admission as a full UN member; drawing clear legal distinctions between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories; firmly opposing annexation and settlement expansion; and imposing targeted sanctions against violent settlers.
Vieira warned that the credibility of the international legal order hinges on its non‑selective application, urging global actors to translate legal norms into political will and sustained follow-up processes. His remarks come amid escalating diplomatic tensions with the United States, which recently threatened punitive tariffs on Brazilian exports—an economic dispute Brazil’s President Lula has vowed to resist, emphasizing Brazilian sovereignty and institutional independence.
