By Mohammed Bello Doka
In a fervent press release, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Nigeria, Mr. Abdallah M. Abu Shawesh, condemned the ongoing Israeli military operations in Rafah, characterizing them as part of a larger, brutal campaign against the Palestinian people. This comes on the 237th day of what he described as a "vicious and heinous genocide," with mounting casualties and widespread devastation.
Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis
As of Tuesday, May 29, the death toll among Palestinians has reached a staggering 36,096, with 81,136 injured and nearly 10,000 still unaccounted for under the rubble. The war in Gaza has exacted a heavy toll on humanitarian workers, claiming the lives of over 224 personnel, including more than 190 from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other UN agencies. National staff constituted over 90 percent of those affected.
The Ambassador cited UN experts, emphasizing the urgent need to halt the flow of arms to Israel. "The flow of arms into Israel must stop immediately. It is abundantly clear that these weapons are being used to brutally kill and maim Palestinian civilians," he stated. The devastation in Gaza is immense, with five percent of the population killed or injured, over 70 percent of homes destroyed, and more than 75 percent of residents displaced.
Human Rights Violations
The situation for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons remains dire. Since October 7, 8,875 Palestinians have been arrested in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, including 295 women, 630 children, and 76 journalists. Many detainees are subjected to severe ill-treatment and torture. A report from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor highlighted horrific acts of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and inhumane treatment against thousands of Palestinian civilians.
International Inaction
Despite the overwhelming evidence of war crimes and the suffering of Palestinian civilians, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has yet to take decisive action. The ICJ has issued provisional measures, including halting the Rafah military operation and allowing humanitarian aid and investigation teams access to Gaza. However, these measures have not been implemented, and the Israeli military has intensified its bombardment of Rafah, targeting displaced persons camps and killing 45 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Call to the International Community
Ambassador Abu Shawesh urged the international community to take immediate action. He stressed the need for economic, diplomatic, and legal measures to pressure Israel into complying with international law. This includes imposing sanctions, banning arms sales, and suspending diplomatic relations until Israel abides by agreed resolutions.
The Ambassador echoed the call of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), who has urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel. "This is the only way to ensure the safety of all in the south and prevent anyone from being left behind," Abu Shawesh asserted.
In closing, Ambassador Abu Shawesh reaffirmed the urgent need for international intervention to end the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and hold
The full statement below
On the 237th day of the unfolding televised and livestreamed vicious and heinous genocide against the Palestinian people, it became crystal clear that international law is applied only on the backs of southern countries.As of Tuesday, May 29, 36,096 Palestinian martyrs and 81,136 injured, with nearly 10,000 missing under the rubble that rescue teams have not succeeded in reaching.The war in Gaza alone has claimed the lives of over 224 humanitarian workers, including over 190 UNRWA … and other UN agencies’ personnel. National staff constituted the vast majority – over 90 per cent – of those affected in Gaza and other crises.1Citing the UN experts “The flow of arms into Israel must stop immediately. It is abundantly clear that these weapons are being used to brutally kill and maim Palestinian civilians,”“A staggering five per cent of Gaza’s population has been killed or injured, more than 70 per cent of homes destroyed, and more than 75 per cent displaced. The agony of Gaza’s people must end,”2As of May 26, the total number of Palestinians arrested since October 7 stands at 8,875 in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem including 295 women, 630 children and 76 journalists. 5900 of them are subject to administrative orders. 18 detainees martyred in the Israeli prisons and military camps, with 16 of their corpses still withheld among 27 martyrs in the prisons.The Palestinian prisoners and detainees are subjected to sever ill treatment and torture. In new report issued by the EuroMid Human Right monitors in tittle Hostages of Israeli Revenge in the Gaza Strip” …. I quote “confirm that the Israeli authorities and army committed horrific crimes of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and inhuman and cruel treatment against thousands of Palestinian civilians who were arrested as part of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, ongoing since 7 October 2023. 3Despite thousands of children and women being killed, mass destruction and leveling of the Gaza Strip, starvation war, and the televised and live-streamed genocide, along with the endless list of Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has yet to take decisive action to end the ongoing genocide. The ICJ issued four additional provisional measures that Israel must comply with. Halting the Rafah military operation, opening the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid, allowing a UN inquiry commission and fact-finding committees access to Gaza, and submitting a report within one month of implementing the measures.While the voice of the ICJ is still echoing in the ears of the whole world regarding the measures that Israel must take, especially halting its military attack on Rafah, the Israeli occupation army has intensified its lethal military ground, air, and sea bombardments on Rafah and hit a displaced people camp multiple times, claiming the lives of 45 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. This action sends a clear message of disregard for international law. We affirm the recent order issued by the International Court of Justice and stress the urgent need to allow the United Nations fact-finding commission; and the international independent commission of Inquiry to have access to Gaza to investigate.We call on the international community to utilize the many peaceful, legal, economic, and diplomatic tools available to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to abide by and adhere to international law and agreed resolutions. This is the only way to ensure the safety of all in the south and prevent anyone from being left behind. This aligns with the call of Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the OPT, who urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel, ban the provision of weapons to it, and suspend diplomatic relations until it complies with international law.
Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh
Ambassador of the Embassy of the State of Palestine
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