BRICS ministers call for Gaza ceasefire, back Palestinian statehood
BRICS foreign ministers have called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, unhindered humanitarian access and support for Palestinian statehood, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The position was outlined in the Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document adopted after the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in New Delhi on May 14-15 under India’s 2026 chairmanship.
The ministers called for the implementation of relevant UN General Assembly and UN Security Council resolutions and urged all parties to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza. They also stressed the need to ensure full and unhindered humanitarian access to the territory.
The document reaffirmed that a just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through peaceful means. The ministers said such a settlement should be based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights to self-determination and return.
BRICS foreign ministers also reiterated support for the State of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations as part of their commitment to the two-state solution. The statement referred to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian state within the internationally recognized 1967 borders, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The ministers expressed concern over the humanitarian situation and conditions in Gaza, including access to aid. They called on all parties to observe international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, and stressed the need to prevent further violations.
The statement also called for further negotiations aimed at achieving an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees held in violation of international law.
The ministers reaffirmed support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, and said its mandate, granted by the UN General Assembly, should be fully respected.
They also noted the importance of unifying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority and called on the international community to support the Palestinian Authority in carrying out reforms to meet Palestinians’ aspirations for independence and statehood.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev took part in the BRICS Council of Foreign Ministers meeting held in New Delhi on May 14-15, 2026.
