BRICS Voices “Grave Concern” Over Middle East Turmoil, Backs Palestinian Statehood

BRICS leaders on Saturday called for an immediate halt to any policy aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and reaffirmed support for a sovereign Palestinian state.

The leaders also expressed deep concern over continued violence in the territory despite the October 2025 ceasefire.

The New Delhi Declaration called for full implementation of relevant UN resolutions, urging all parties to maintain the ceasefire and ensure unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza.

The leaders said they were concerned about arrangements that could prejudice the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people or legitimise and prolong occupation.

The bloc reaffirmed that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be achieved only through peaceful means and reiterated support for the State of Palestine's full membership of the UN in the context of an unwavering commitment to the two-state solution. It is a state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, within the internationally recognised 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

BRICS Leaders Express Concerns

The Delhi Declaration also rejected any unilateral measures seeking to alter the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem and urged full respect for the sanctity of religious sites in the city and the rights of all to access them without hindrance.

On Lebanon, BRICS welcomed the ceasefire and called on all parties to strictly adhere to its terms, condemning continued violations of the ceasefire and of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It called on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory in line with UN Security Council Resolution and condemned attacks on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The leaders expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions across the Middle East and West Asia and called for maximum restraint, urging renewed dialogue and diplomacy towards long-term stability in the region.

Without naming any country, the declaration also expressed serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, calling such strikes a violation of international law.

The declaration made no explicit reference to the Russia-Ukraine war.