By Mohammed Bello Doka
June 5, 2024– In a heartfelt address, Ambassador Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh of the Embassy of the State of Palestine expressed gratitude to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for its firm support of the World Health Organization resolution and the Palestinian amendments adopted last Friday. He emphasized the need for Nigeria to leverage its respected political influence to maintain balance on the international stage and prevent the dominance of jungle law.
The Ambassador highlighted Slovenia's recent recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state, following an overwhelming parliamentary vote. He provided sobering statistics on the ongoing conflict: as of June 4th, 36,550 Palestinians have been martyred, 82,959 are injured, and nearly 10,000 remain missing under rubble. The majority of these victims are women and children.
The address also drew attention to the plight of Palestinian prisoners. Since October 7, 16 prisoners have been executed in Israeli prisons due to severe beatings, medical negligence, and torture, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Additionally, a preliminary satellite analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) revealed that 55% of Gaza's structures have been destroyed or damaged by the ongoing conflict.
Water scarcity was another critical issue raised by Ambassador Abu Shawesh. He noted that Israel controls 88% of Palestinian water sources in the Occupied West Bank, allowing Israeli settlers to consume nine and a half times more water than Palestinian citizens. Palestinians have access to only 105 million cubic meters of the 400 million cubic meters needed annually, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh also commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, underscoring Palestine's rich history and cultural heritage. He criticized the narrative that Palestine was a "land without people" prior to the establishment of Israel, asserting the historical presence and significance of the Palestinian people.
Quoting a UN report, the Ambassador highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Rafah, where facilities are closing due to insufficient aid. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported a 67% drop in humanitarian supplies since May 7, leading to the closure of kitchens, clinics, and hospitals.
The Ambassador condemned Israel's proposed laws aimed at further displacing Palestinians from their homeland. He called on national parliaments worldwide to sever relations with Israel until it dismantles these racist laws and halts settlement expansion.
In a significant development, Israel has moved to sever ties with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and label it a terrorist organization, following unsubstantiated allegations against UNRWA staff related to the October 7 incident. The EU has condemned this move, emphasizing UNRWA's vital role in Gaza's humanitarian response.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh concluded by criticizing the suppression of freedom of expression in some Western democracies, where criticism of the Israeli occupation is often labeled as hate speech or Anti-Semitism, limiting open discourse on the issue.
For more updates, follow Ambassador Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh on Twitter: @AM_Shawesh.
The full statement below.
Press Release
June 5, 2024
243 days of Israeli war against the Palestinian people
243 calls to the whole world:
Maintain international law and reject the law of the jungleToday, I would like to begin by offering my sincere thanks to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for taking a very clear position in supporting the resolution and the three Palestinian amendments to the World Health Organization resolution that was adopted last Friday. We look forward to Nigeria utilizing its full political weight, known and respected around the world, to secure balance on the international political stage and prevent jungle law from dominating.Yesterday, Slovenia recognized Palestine as an independent and sovereign state after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move. As of June 4th, the number of Palestinian martyrs is 36,550, and 82,959 are injured, with nearly 10,000 missing under the rubble that rescue teams have not succeeded in reaching. It is worth noting that the majority of the victims are women and children.According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, 16 Palestinian prisoners have been executed in Israeli prisons since October 7 due to intense beatings, medical negligence policies, and torture they were subjected to.About 55% of all structures in Gaza have been destroyed, damaged or possibly damaged by the war, according to a preliminary satellite analysis carried out by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)Israeli control 88% of the Palestinian water sources in the Occupied West Bank and allow the colonists to freely access them without obstacles. Israeli colonizer consumes nine and a half times more water than the Palestinian citizen. The water available to the Palestinians amounts to 105 million cubic meters out of 400 million cubic meters needed. This is another face of racist and Jewish supremacies.A few days ago, Palestinians celebrated the 100th anniversary of establishing their Journalists Syndicate, 25 years before the Western invention of Israel. It was not a land without people; it was Palestine, our paradise.From a UN report I quote, “Humanitarian facilities in Rafah are forced to close one after another…The flow of humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza, already insufficient to meet the soaring needs, has dropped by 67 per cent since 7 May,” reported the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, amid reports that kitchens, clinics and hospitals are shutting down.1 Israel is taking advantage of all eyes on Gaza where it is waging a military war against the Palestinian people, to launch another, more dangerous war. It is proposing notorious laws that will likely be passed soon to complete the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people from their ancient homeland.Since 1967, Israel has issued hundreds of military orders and approved dozens of racist laws that have worked to consolidate the footprint of the Israeli occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories. This also opens the door for messianic and fanatic settler gangs to establish new settlement posts on Palestinian lands, which will later become recognized settlements. We call for all national parliaments around the world to sever their relations with Israel until it reviews all the despicable racist laws and dismantles them. After failing to provide any accurate evidence linking UNRWA staff to the October 7 incident, and with many countries resuming financial support for the UN agency, the Israeli occupation has approved a draft law in a preliminary reading to sever ties with UNRWA and label it as a terrorist organization. This move comes after Israel's failure to substantiate allegations against UN agency employees involved in the October 7 attack. Additionally, the Israeli land authority has ordered UNRWA to vacate its premises within 30 days and pay approximately $7.36 million for land use. The EU has issued a statement condemning any attempts to label a UN agency as a terrorist organization and emphasizing the crucial role of UNRWA in humanitarian response in Gaza.Citing the UNRWA, they received horrific reports from Jabalia where displaced people, including children, reportedly killed and injured while sheltering in UN schools besieged by the Israeli occupation army tanks. Tens of people sheltering at the school reportedly set on fire by the Israeli army.Finally, in some Western democratic countries, freedom of expression is guaranteed by constitutions as long as you do not criticize the Israeli occupation. If you do so, it will be considered hate speech and Anti-Semitism, and there is no room for freedom of expression.
Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh
Ambassador of the Embassy of the State of Palestine
X – Tweeter: @AM_Shawesh
Tags
News