Israel denounces Colombia for breaking diplomatic ties

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz denounced Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday for deciding to break diplomatic ties with Israel over the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Katz accused Petro on social media platform X of being "a hateful anti-Semite."

"Relations between Israel and Colombia have always been warm," Katz wrote, adding that Petro "won't be able to change that."

Earlier on Wednesday, Petro said in a public speech in Bogota, "Tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel ... for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal."

Petro had criticized Israel's military operations against Hamas in Gaza and requested to join South Africa's lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide.

Israel's retaliatory attacks on Hamas-ruled Gaza have killed more than 34,500 people, mostly civilians, displaced most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million, and wrought hunger and devastation across the enclave.