Petro announces that Colombia will sever diplomatic relations with Israel

(CNN in Spanish) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Thursday that he would sever relations with Israel due to the ongoing operations in Gaza.

“The government of change, the President of the Republic informs you that diplomatic relations with the State of Israel will be severed tomorrow,” he said on Wednesday when he delivered a message on the occasion of International Workers’ Day in Bogota’s Bolivar Square.

Petro said that the Israeli government's handling of the situation in Gaza amounted to “genocide.”

CNN has contacted the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request additional details.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, published a Message on your X account In it, he criticized Petro's announcement that Colombia was severing its relations with Israel. “The State of Israel will continue to protect its citizens without fear or fear,” Katz said.

Katz accused President Petro of rewarding Hamas, saying he stood by “the most despicable monsters known to humanity who burned children, killed children, raped women, and kidnapped innocent civilians.”

Katz also described Petrou as an “anti-Semitic and hateful president” and said that relations between the two countries would remain warm, despite the president's actions.