Colombia threatens to sever ties with Israel

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if the country doesn't comply with the UN Security Council resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Petro made the threat in a post on X, and it comes weeks after the president announced that Bogota would be suspending the purchasing of Israeli weapons.

The two countries have shown signs of deteriorating relations over Israel's war in Gaza. Israel and Colombia have been military and commercial partners, but ties began to sour after Petro was elected to office in 2022.

Petro, one of several leftist leaders in South America, is a longtime proponent of Palestinian rights and described Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza as "genocide".