Palestine condemns Paraguay's move to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem

Palestine has condemned Paraguay's decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry announced.

"Paraguay's decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem is a violation of international law, UN resolutions, and the opinion of the International Court of Justice," it said on X on Thursday.

The ministry condemned the decision taken by Paraguayan President Santiago Pena, standing on the wrong side of history and rewarding the Israeli occupation for continuing to commit genocide against the Palestinian people.

Paraguay reopened its embassy Thursday in Jerusalem with a ceremony attended by Pena and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Pena arrived Wednesday in Israel on the eve of the embassy's relocation from Tel Aviv — a move hailed as "courageous" by Netanyahu.

The Israeli Knesset (parliament) held a welcoming session for the Paraguayan president, who also met with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog.

Reversed move

Paraguay originally relocated its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 under the pro-Israel government of then-President Horacio Cartes.

It reversed its decision months later when a new administration came to power.

The decision of Pena, a protege of Cartes who has followed in his mentor's footsteps, to reopen the Jerusalem embassy makes Paraguay the first country to make the move since the start of Israel's brutal war on Palestine's Gaza in October last year.