NEWS
Bolivia cuts diplomatic ties with Israel
La Paz restored ties with Tel Aviv only in 2019
Bolivia on Tuesday said it was severing diplomatic ties with Israel over its "disproportionate" attacks in Gaza, as two other Latin American countries recalled their ambassadors over the mounting humanitarian crisis.
Bolivia "has decided to cut diplomatic relations with the State of Israel, in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive being carried out in the Gaza Strip," deputy foreign minister Freddy Mamani told a press conference.
At the same press conference, Minister of the Presidency Maria Nela Prada demanded an end to the attacks in the Gaza Strip "which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians."
The government of leftist Luis Arce is the first in Latin America to cut ties with Israel since the divisive conflict erupted with the Hamas attacks on 7 October, which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,400 people.
Bolivia only announced it was restoring ties with Israel in 2019, a decade after they were cut over previous attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Israel on Wednesday slammed Bolivia's decision.
"The government of Bolivia's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Israel is a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah's regime in Iran," foreign ministry spokespersonn Lior Haiat said in a statement.
"By taking this step, the Bolivian government is aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist organization."
The leaders of both Colombia and Chile also spoke out Tuesday against the Israeli offensive on Hamas.
"I have decided to recall our ambassador to Israel (Margarita Manjarrez) for consultation. If Israel does not stop the massacre of the Palestinian people, we cannot be there," Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Chile, which has the largest Palestinian population outside the Arab world, also said Tuesday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel in protest against Israel's "unacceptable violations of international humanitarian law."