Israel decries move by Latin American nations

Israel slams El Salvador, Peru and Chile for calling in their ambassadors in Tel Aviv for consultations, saying the move helps Hamas and does little to end the current conflict.

“This step constitutes encouragement for Hamas, a group recognized as a terror organization by many countries around the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor says in a statement. “Israel expects countries who oppose terrorism to act responsibly and not to hand terrorists a prize.”

“So far, every time Israel accepted ceasefire proposals, Hamas responded by “sustained rocket fire,” Palmor says. “El Salvador, Chile and Peru would have been much better advised to promote the international move intended to assist Israel in its efforts to defend innocent civilians and instate a durable ceasefire with the demilitarization of Gaza.”

Last week, Brazil was the first country to call in its ambassador in Israel, leading Palmor to call the country a “diplomatic dwarf” in return.

— Raphael Ahren