Chilean president condemns Gaza conflict

During a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Santiago's Palestinian Club, Chilean President Gabriel Boric made strong statements regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza and called for international intervention to end the war. The event, attended by Chile's significant Palestinian community, featured a tree decorated with 45,000 lights commemorating Gaza's victims.

Boric explicitly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, labeling his actions in Gaza and the West Bank as war crimes and "barbarity." Speaking at the "Palestinian Christmas: Light of Hope from Bethlehem to Chile" event, he emphasized that there could be "no half-measures in the defense of humanity."

The ceremony takes place against the backdrop of intensifying efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The conflict, which began with Hamas's October 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages, has resulted in more than 45,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, according to medical sources.

Chile hosts the largest Palestinian community outside the Middle East, with approximately half a million people of Palestinian descent. The community has become an influential social and political force in the country. This marks the third year of the "light of hope" tradition, following last year's ceremony where Boric and former Presidents Bachelet and Piñera attended a symbolic lighting where only the Star of Bethlehem was illuminated.

The president's statements come as Israel faces increasing international isolation over its military campaign in Gaza, while Palestinians accuse Israel of "ethnic cleansing" in creating a buffer zone in northern Gaza, claims which Israel denies.