Gaza, Lebanon in spotlight: BRICS leaders condemn Gaza war, emphasising ceasefire calls

Leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, including Xi Jinping of China, Narendra Modi of India, and Vladimir Putin of Russia, convened in Kazan, Russia, for a three-day summit where they called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to hostilities in Lebanon.

This summit, the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in decades, occurs amid Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Israel's war on Gaza and assault on Lebanon.

Putin hosted 36 world leaders, facing growing pressure from both allies and Western critics to resolve the conflict, while highlighting Moscow's global engagement.

Discussions focused heavily on the Middle East, with leaders condemning Israeli military actions and advocating for peace in Gaza and the West Bank.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged BRICS nations to use their collective influence to "end the war" in both regions, describing the conflicts as "cruel and painful."

"I call on all members of the influential BRICS group to use all their collective and individual capacities to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon," he stated.

Iran, which officially joined BRICS this year, is preparing for potential Israeli retaliation following missile strikes on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, as well as the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Lula emphasised the need to avoid escalation in both the Middle East and Ukraine, advocating for peace negotiations.

He urged countries to "work together" to end the conflict that has resulted in the deaths of at least 42,792 Palestinian by Israel over the past year.

"Avoiding escalation and encouraging peace negotiations... is crucial for the conflict between Ukraine and Russia," Lula noted.

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his commitment to a ceasefire, stressing the need to "work tirelessly for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue."

In the final declaration from the Kazan summit, BRICS leaders highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of hostages, and facilitating humanitarian aid.

"We stress the urgent need for an immediate comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detainees from both sides, and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, as well as an end to all aggressive actions," the BRICS statement said.

Leaders also condemned civilian casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure due to Israeli actions in Lebanon, advocating for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The bloc denounced attacks on UN personnel, calling for an immediate cessation of such actions by Israel.

They condemned the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus last April and a recent "terrorist attack" linked to Israeli actions in Beirut, labelling these actions serious violations of international law.

The statement also called for adherence to UN Security Council resolutions from 2023 and 2024 and praised the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and other regional initiatives aimed at "halting the fighting and expediting the delivery of humanitarian aid" while emphasising the need for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The Kazan Declaration was adopted after extensive discussions lasting over four hours.

However, the backdrop of the summit remains the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In private talks, Putin received mediation offers from several BRICS leaders regarding Ukraine, even as he claimed his forces were advancing on the battlefield, according to his spokesman.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that Putin highlighted the "very positive dynamics on the front for the Russian armed forces."

Xi, a key ally of Putin, reiterated the need to prevent further escalation in Ukraine, stating, "We must adhere to the three principles of 'no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no adding oil to the fire by relevant parties,' to ease the situation as soon as possible."

Indian Prime Minister Modi also called for peace, affirming, "We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war."

As Putin faces isolation from the West and an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, the European Union has urged BRICS summit attendees to press him to end the war in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano condemned Russia's "misuse" of its chairmanship and expressed hope that summit participants would collectively call on Putin to halt aggression against Ukraine.

He supported UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his efforts to reinforce these demands amid Ukraine’s criticism of his attendance at the summit, stating, "We trust that [Guterres] will reinforce the call on Russia and on Putin to completely and unconditionally stop the brutal aggression against the Ukrainian people."

BRICS, founded in 2006, originally included Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. 

The group aims to challenge Western economic and political dominance, setting its priorities through annual summits, which rotate among member states.

The Kazan summit marks the 16th meeting of BRICS leaders.

In 2023, BRICS expanded its membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates following their applications.

While Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, the other nations have accepted their invitations.

An invitation was also extended to Argentina, which declined after President Javier Milei pledged to strengthen ties with the West.