Nicaragua is cutting diplomatic ties with Israel, the Central American nation said on Friday, calling the Israeli government “fascist” and “genocide.”
The Nicaraguan government, in a statement, said the break in relations was due to Israel’s attacks on Palestinian territories.
The national conference, earlier in the day, decided that Nicaragua should take action to mark the one year anniversary of the conflict in Gaza.
The conflict, the Nicaraguan government said, is now “continuing in Lebanon and seriously threatening Syria, Yemen and Iran.”
The Middle East is looking forward to regional expansion after Iran launched an array of missiles at Israel on Oct. 1. Iran supports the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, which Israel has targeted in a series of recent deadly attacks.
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Iran is also an ally of the administration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Nicaragua has become increasingly isolated in recent years after Ortega cracked down on anti-government protests in 2018, which rights groups say left nearly 300 people dead.