Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and likened the plight of Palestinians to the suffering of Jesus Christ.

"At the moment of the Passion and death of Jesus, let us reflect on the Palestinian people, from where he came, now under a bloody genocide," Petro wrote on X, responding to a post about Dr Hossam Abu Safiya, a prominent Palestinian physician reportedly in critical condition while in Israeli detention following alleged torture.

Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was reportedly detained by Israeli forces earlier this year.

Human rights organisations and local media outlets have raised alarms in recent weeks over his treatment in custody, citing severe abuse and deteriorating health.

Petro’s statement came during the Christian observance of Holy Week, further intensifying its symbolic weight.

The Colombian leader has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, repeatedly accusing it of committing war crimes.

More than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.