In his final address as head of state before the United Nations, Chilean President Gabriel Boric delivered a harsh condemnation of the Israeli government.

“I do not want to see Netanyahu destroyed by a missile along with his family. I want to see Netanyahu and those responsible for the genocide against the Palestinian people face an international court of justice,” the leftist leader declared before the UN General Assembly in New York.

The war erupted after a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,218 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

At least 65,062 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed as a result of Israeli reprisals in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run government, which seized power in the territory in 2007.

“Thousands of innocent human beings are losing their lives simply for being Palestinian (…) Gaza is a global crisis because it is a crisis of humanity,” Boric added.

Chile and the Palestinian Territories have developed close ties since migration flows began in the 20th century.

In 2011, Chile recognized “Palestine” as a state and later supported its entry into UNESCO.

In November 2023, Boric recalled Chile’s ambassador to Tel Aviv. Since then, the country has not had an ambassador in Israel, though it has not downgraded the level of diplomatic relations.