By Mohammed Bello Doka
On the 230th day of what is being described as the world’s first televised and livestreamed genocide, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Nigeria, Mr. Abdallah M Abu Shawesh, issued a compelling statement highlighting the grave injustices faced by Palestinians.
Reflecting on 76 years of continuous suffering from Al Nakba to the current crisis, Ambassador Abu Shawesh described the ongoing situation as "heinous and vicious genocide," calling out the blackmail and intimidation tactics used to silence critics of the Israeli occupation by labeling them as anti-Semites.
The statistics provided are harrowing: as of May 22, the death toll stands at 35,647 Palestinian martyrs, with 79,852 injuries and 10,000 missing individuals. Notably, nearly 72% of the victims are women and children. The ambassador stressed the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where 285 square kilometers, or about 78% of the Gaza Strip, are now under evacuation orders by the Israeli military. This has left only five operational bakeries in Gaza, with many others ceasing operations due to fuel and supply shortages.
Since October 7, 2023, the number of detainees has reached 8,775. These prisoners, including women and children, suffer from ill-treatment, starvation, medical neglect, and various forms of torture. Ambassador Abu Shawesh called on international bodies like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, and the Human Rights Council to uphold their mandates and ensure that Palestinian prisoners are treated in accordance with international law.
The displacement crisis is equally dire. By May 11, up to 1.7 million people, over 75% of Gaza’s population, had been displaced, many multiple times, in search of safety. The total number of UNRWA staff killed since the onset of hostilities has reached 189.
Recent developments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) provide a glimmer of hope for justice. Ambassador Abu Shawesh urged the ICC to issue a decisive order to halt the genocide. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has expressed intentions to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite criticisms of the ICC’s slow response to Palestinian grievances compared to other global conflicts, the ambassador called for the establishment of an ICC office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to facilitate direct investigations and interactions with victims.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh condemned threats against the ICC and emphasized the importance of international law in preventing impunity. He called on signatories of the 1949 Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations by opening national investigations into violations and prosecuting the perpetrators.
In conclusion, the ambassador highlighted the dire situation in Rafah since May 6, 2024, where nearly 800,000 Palestinians were displaced following the Israeli military offensive. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini’s remarks underscored the absence of safe zones in Gaza, reiterating that no place is safe and no one is spared from the conflict.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh’s impassioned plea to the international community underscores the urgent need for action to address the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people and to uphold the principles of justice and human rights.
On the 230th day of the world’s first televised and livestreamed heinous and vicious genocide in Palestine.
From Al Nakba to the current Genocide, 76 years of continuous unjust and inhuman situations that Palestinians endure.Accusing anyone who criticizes the Israeli occupation of being Anti-Semite is ridiculous blackmail and intimidation.As of May 22, there have been 35,647 Palestinian martyrs, 79,852 injuries, and 10,000 missing individuals. It is worth noting that nearly 72% of them are women and children.“285 square kilometers, or approximately 78 per cent of the Gaza Strip are now subject to evacuation orders by the Israeli military.”1“only five bakeries remain operational in all of Gaza. Nearly a dozen others have ceased operations due to fuel and supply shortages.2Since October 7 and as of May 19, the number of detainees has reached 8,775. All Palestinian prisoners and detainees are subjected to ill-treatment, starvation, medical neglect, and dehumanization among a list of other Israeli torture methods and measures. We call on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to adhere to their mandate and conduct periodic visits to Palestinian prisoners to ensure that they are treated in accordance with the requirements of international law and Israeli adherence to its obligations as an occupying Power, as well as to report and document their conditions. “As of 11 May, up to 1.7 million people (over 75 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, the majority multiple times… Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. As of 12 May, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 189, an increase of one since the last report.”3Upon the request of South Africa, the ICJ started another round of hearings last Thursday, May 16. We call for the ICC to issue a decisive and clear cut order to stop the Israeli genocide war, if it’s not now, then when, if it’s not the ICJ, then who?Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the ICC, is seeking to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister and his war minister Yoav Galant on charges of committing war crimes. In a press statement, Khan said, “On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the … war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine”.4Citing the Euromed Monitor, “Generally, the ICC has dealt with the situation in Palestine from the beginning with repeated and unjustified delays and procrastination. The Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted the ICC to open an investigation within less than a month, while it took over six years for the ICC to finally announce the opening of an investigation into the situation in Palestine on 3 March 2021.”5The ICC has numerous country offices worldwide that investigate many crimes. Building on that, we call for the ICC to establish and open a new office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the previous Israeli aggressions and the ongoing genocide war. By doing so the court will be able to meet directly with the victims or / and their families, cooperate with the Palestinians national authorities, and the specialized local bodies.We call on the ICC prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for all Israeli and other foreign officials who advocate for and incite genocide against the Palestinian people.Khan says “some elected leaders told him that the ICC was built for Africa and “thugs like Vladimir Putin”, the Russian president.”6We condemn threats and intimidation against the International Criminal Court and its officials and consider its role in preventing impunity to be essential. Those who do not abide by and comply with international law should not complain when the UN high court takes action.We call on States parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which include, among other things, opening a criminal investigation in their national courts to prosecute and arrest violators of the Convention.Since May 6, the start of the new Israeli military offensive round on Rafah and the takeover of the only crossing point connecting Gaza to the world, nearly 800,000 Palestinians were displaced and forcibly evacuated from Rafah towards the north. UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini stated, “The claim that people in Gaza can move to “safe” or “humanitarian” zones is false. Each time, it puts the lives of civilians at serious risk. Gaza does not have any safe zones. No place is safe. No one is safe.”
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