The Israeli Foreign Ministry declared the Brazilian president persona non grata for his statements. The day before, Lula da Silva compared the actions of the Israeli military in the Palestinian enclave with the crimes of Adolf Hitler.
The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip had reached 28,985 on February 18, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. On January 26, ICJ President Joan Donoghue said Israel has an obligation to take immediate action to prevent genocide in the Gaza strip.