Awad Rjoub and Rania Abu Shamala
29 May 2025•Update: 29 May 2025
RAMALLAH, Palestine /ISTANBUL
The Palestinian presidency praised Chile’s decision Wednesday to withdraw its military attaches from its embassy in Israel in protest against the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, it welcomed “President Gabriel Boric’s decision to withdraw the two military attaches from Chile’s embassy in Tel Aviv.”
It said the move comes “in protest of Israel’s continued aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, its obstruction of aid delivery, and the denial of more than 2 million Palestinians of their basic human rights to access food, medicine and essential services.”
The presidency described Chile’s decision as “an important and courageous step that reflects growing international rejection of the crimes of killing, destruction and starvation committed by the occupation authorities against the Palestinian people.”
It added that the move is “another form of pressure on the occupation authorities to stop the genocide against our people.”
The presidency also called for “serious and immediate international positions to compel the occupying state to halt its bloody war on Gaza, end its assaults in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and comply with international legitimacy and international law.”
Chile announced that it would withdraw its military, defense and air force attaches from Tel Aviv, citing the dire humanitarian conditions faced by the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision to withdraw the attaches has already been communicated to Israeli authorities.
The ministry said the decision, which was coordinated with the Ministry of Defense, stems from "the extremely serious humanitarian situation currently experienced by the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip."
It specifically cited "the disproportionate and indiscriminate military operation by the Israeli army" as well as "constant obstacles to allowing aid" into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a devastating offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
