Brazil signalled conditional openness to joining a proposed international “Peace Council” on Gaza, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressing that any such framework must include Palestinian representation to be credible.

In a recorded interview with Brazilian news outlet Universo Online (UOL) on Thursday, Lula said Brazil would consider participation only if the council’s mandate is limited to Gaza and Palestinians are present at the table. “Any path that does not include Palestinians cannot be considered a peace committee,” he said.

Lula revealed that he conveyed this position directly to US President Donald Trump, telling him that Brazil has “every interest” in participating if the initiative is genuinely focused on Gaza. He criticised ideas circulating about post-war reconstruction, arguing that some proposals resemble “a tourist resort more than reconstruction,” and questioned who would rebuild homes, hospitals, and bakeries destroyed during the war.

The Brazilian president also said he had spoken with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, expressing Brazil’s readiness to take part in any serious international effort, while reiterating that Palestinian inclusion is a non-negotiable condition.

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The interview coincided with the........

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