Managua: In reaction to what the Nicaraguan government referred to as "the brutal genocide" that Israel perpetrated against the Palestinian people, Nicaragua declared its intention to terminate diplomatic ties with Israel.
The move responds to a request by the Central American country's parliament, the National Assembly, which approved a declaration of condemnation during a special session held on the first anniversary of the Gaza conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.
The parliament condemned "the continued genocide, cruelty, extreme hatred and extermination carried out by the government of Israel," the Nicaraguan government said in a statement, IANS reported.
The decision is "in permanent solidarity" with the people and government of Palestine, and adheres to international law and the conventions that govern interstate and inter-governmental relations, it said.
The government headed by President Daniel Ortega also reiterated "the demand for compliance with all United Nations Resolutions" for a "free, sovereign, independent and self-determined" state of Palestine.
The statement also expressed "warm and consistent affection" for Israeli families, who "live through difficult times as a result of the excessive brutality and hatred of the government of Israel."