Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued one of the strongest calls yet for decisive global action in defense of Palestine, urging the formation of an international army to liberate Gaza and end the Zionist regime’s ongoing genocide.

Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Petro warned that speeches and condemnations were no longer enough in the face of relentless Israeli massacres, starvation policies, and U.S.-backed military aggression across the region.

“We need a powerful army of the countries that do not accept genocide,” Petro declared. “That is why I invite nations of the world and their peoples, more than anything, as an integral part of humanity, to bring together weapons and armies. We must liberate Palestine.”

He emphasized that tyranny and totalitarianism, propagated by the United States and NATO, were threatening not only Gaza but all of humanity. “They will not just bomb Gaza, not just the Caribbean as they are doing already, but all of humanity that demands freedom,” he warned.

Petro’s remarks came as the Israeli regime intensified its genocidal war on Gaza. More than 90 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday alone in Israeli air and ground attacks, pushing the overall death toll past 65,000 since October 7, 2023. The majority of the victims are women and children.

The genocidal campaign was launched after Palestinian resistance fighters carried out Operation al-Aqsa Flood in defense of their people against decades of occupation, dispossession, and mass killings. Since March 2, Israel has sealed all border crossings, blocking humanitarian aid and plunging Gaza into unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

Petro’s call resonated with a similar proposal made earlier by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who expressed readiness to contribute 20,000 troops to an international coalition force for Gaza.

Separately, Chilean President Gabriel Boric also delivered a strong rebuke of Israeli crimes at the UNGA, calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to face an international tribunal for genocide.

“I want to see Netanyahu and those responsible for the genocide against the Palestinian people brought before an international court of justice,” Boric said, drawing parallels with war crimes prosecutions in the Balkans and Rwanda.

Boric also condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar and its aggression against Iran, stressing the urgent need for the international community to strengthen multilateralism and resist the spread of hate.

Boric’s remarks underscored the deep emotional resonance of Gaza’s plight beyond the Middle East.

“Thousands of innocent human beings are losing their lives just for being Palestinians,” he said. “Rather than talking about numbers, condemnations, or demands, I would like to talk about humanity today.”

Chile, home to the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, has seen growing solidarity movements demanding justice for Palestine. “When children lie under the rubble, there is a genuine pain in our country, in Chile,” Boric added.

With world leaders from Latin America and Asia speaking out forcefully at the UNGA, momentum appears to be building for stronger international measures to confront Israeli crimes. Petro’s bold proposal for a multinational liberation army marked a dramatic escalation in calls for concrete action.

“The time for empty words has passed,” Petro concluded. “The world must choose: liberty or death. Palestine must be free.” (ILKHA)