Maduro said in a statement on television, “The Secretary-General of the United Nations issued a statement, which we read carefully, as a warning and cautionary statement against the genocide that began against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused Israel of committing "genocide" against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, upon which Israel decided to impose an "absolute siege," prompting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to express his "deep concern" about the repercussions of such a step.

Maduro said in a statement on television, “The Secretary-General of the United Nations issued a statement, which we read carefully, as a warning and cautionary statement against the genocide that began against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

In his statement, Guterres acknowledged Israel's "legitimate concerns about its security," expressing at the same time his "deep concern" about Israel's decision to impose an "absolute siege" on the Gaza Strip.

The Venezuelan president added, "We have previously witnessed massacres, brutal massacres, against the Palestinian people in the past," considering that the Palestinians are subjected to a "new apartheid" regime.

Maduro continued, "We demand a ceasefire, we demand respect for United Nations resolutions, we demand respect for the rights of peoples, and we demand the immediate start of peace negotiations so that the Palestinian people regain their legitimate rights to independence, land, and peace."

He added, "I defend the Palestinian people and defend peace."

In 2009, his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, accused Israel of carrying out "genocide" in Gaza after an Israeli attack targeting the Strip at the end of 2008.

From "Arabs 48" website