News - Middle East: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for an end to the ongoing Israeli genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, labeling the regime's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal."

Petro made the remarks during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, as he criticized Netanyahu for continuing the bombardment of Gaza.  

“It is in this inequality […] that we find the logic of the mass destruction unleashed by the climate crisis and the logic of the bombs dropped by a criminal like Netanyahu on Gaza,” Petro said.

“When Gaza dies, all of humanity will die. Today we have 20,000 dead children,” he added.

Petro hit out at the current world order which allows Israel to bomb Gaza and Lebanon and imposes unilateral sanctions on others.

“The powerful global oligarchy allows bombs to be dropped on Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan, or allows the economic blockade of rebellious countries that do not fit into its domain, such as Cuba and Venezuela,” he said.

He said the power of a nation in the world is "no longer exercised by political and economic power, but by destroying humanity”.

“Those of us who have the power to sustain life speak without being paid attention to. That is why they do not listen to us when we vote to stop the genocide in Gaza. The presidents who can destroy humanity do not listen to us,” he said.

On Sunday, Petro rejected accusations of being anti-Semitic over his pro-Palestine stance, saying anti-Semitism is manifested in the killing of Gaza children and not in speaking against Israel’s ongoing genocide.