Tehran, IRNA – Colombia has ordered the Israeli ambassador to leave the country as tensions simmer between the two sides over Colombian president Gustavo Petro's remarks in support of the Palestinian people in the war-hit Gaza Strip, with the leftist president threatening to cut diplomatic relations with the regime.

The Colombian foreign ministry on Monday demanded the Israeli envoy “apologize and leave” after he criticized President Petro for his comments over the Gaza war, according to media reports.

Petro has shared a number of posts criticizing the Israeli regime on social media since it began the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip on October 7 following a surprise and unprecedented operation by Hamas resistance movement against the regime the same day.

The Colombian president, in one post on X, formerly known as Twitter, accused the Israeli regime of using language about the people of Gaza similar to what the "Nazis said of the Jews,” France 24 reported.

In response to Petro’s comments, the Zionist regime announced on Sunday the suspension of “security” exports to Colombia.

And following the regime’s move, President Petro threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, stressing that his country will never support “genocide” of the Palestinian people.

“If we have to suspend foreign relations with Israel, we will suspend them. We don’t support genocides,” Colombia Reports news website quoted him as saying on Monday.

The president asked other Latin American governments for solidarity as well, according to the website.

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