BELMOPAN, Belize — Belize on Tuesday suspended diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the second Latin American nation to sever ties in the wake of the country’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Citing what it called “unceasing indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza, Belmopan withdrew its welcome to the Israeli ambassador, Einat Kranz-Neiger, and announced it had withdrawn the request for accreditation of its honorary consul in Tel Aviv.
Since October 7, “Israel has consistently violated international law,” a Belize statement alleged.
Bolivia broke relations with Israel on November 1, accusing Israel of “carrying out crimes against humanity,” while Colombia, Chile and Honduras have all recalled their ambassadors.
On October 7, some 3,000 Hamas terrorists broke through the Gaza border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking some 240 hostages.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Many of the victims were butchered in their homes in front of their families, and 260 people were mowed down at an outdoor music festival.
A group of people demonstrate in support of Palestinians and against Israel in front of the US embassy in La Paz, Bolivia on October 11, 2023. (Aizar Raldes/AFP)
In response, Israel launched an offensive from the air and on the ground, vowing to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by the terror group since 2007. It says it is avoiding civilians as much as possible, though much of the terror infrastructure is embedded within hospitals, homes, schools and mosques.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that some 11,320 people have been killed since October 7, most of them civilians. These numbers cannot be independently verified and are thought to include Hamas’s own members as well as civilians killed by misfired rockets that were launched and fell inside of the Strip.
Bridging the US-Israel divide
While the heart of The Times of Israel’s work takes place in Israel, so many of Jerusalem’s actions are influenced by those in Washington’s halls of power.
As ToI’s US bureau chief, I work to gain access to decision-makers in the United States government so our readers can understand the US-Israel relationship beyond the platitudes evident in public statements.
I'm proud of our ability to inform without sensationalizing, our dedication to be fast while ensuring accuracy, and our determination to present Israel's entire, complex story.
Your support through The Times of Israel Community helps us continue to keep readers around the world properly informed about the critical Israel-US relationship. Do you appreciate our news coverage? If so, please join the ToI Community today.
- Jacob Magid, The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this