The BRICS declaration may be a breakthrough on Palestine — but action must follow

The BRICS Rio de Janeiro Declaration, issued on 7 July 2025 offers one of the clearest and most forthright positions to date by a major international bloc on Israel’s assault on Gaza and the wider Palestinian crisis. While Western powers remain evasive, and ASEAN stays cautiously neutral, BRICS has broken ranks by naming the reality for what it is: a war of aggression, not a war of defence. The declaration is full of the right words—words that are rare in international forums. It names the use of starvation as a method of warfare, condemns obstruction of humanitarian aid, and expresses “grave concern” over Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza. These are not minor rhetorical moves. In the heavily sanitised language of […]