By Mohammed Bello Doka
The Palestinian Ambassador, Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, delivered a compelling address during this week’s briefing, condemning the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urging the international community to take a stand. Appearing in traditional Palestinian attire, he captivated the audience with his remarks on the dire situation faced by his people.
After the briefing, while answering questions from journalists, Ambassador Abu Shawesh held up a key, symbolizing the right of return for Palestinian families displaced by Zionist forces. "When we were sent out of our homes, we took our keys with us," he explained, "meaning we are coming back." The key served as a powerful symbol of hope and resistance, embodying the enduring struggle for justice and the return to their rightful homeland.
The ambassador used the opportunity to call on the global West to recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. He stressed that it was time for the world to rise in defense of human rights and support the struggle for freedom. In his appeal, he urged Western leaders to confront the ongoing US-backed military actions in Gaza, which have resulted in massive casualties, particularly among women and children.
During the briefing, Ambassador Abu Shawesh also condemned the United States' continued support for Israel despite mounting evidence of the humanitarian catastrophe. He highlighted reports from aid organizations and medical professionals documenting the devastating impact on civilians, including the destruction of hospitals and the suffering of patients unable to receive life-saving care.
The Ambassador concluded by calling on the international community to end the normalization of violence against Palestinians and hold Israel accountable for its actions.
Below is the full statement delivered by Ambassador Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh during the event:
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**Press Release
October 17, 2024**
It is the 377th day of the ongoing US-backed Israeli genocide. Lise Grande, the US Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, told the leaders of more than a dozen aid organizations that "the U.S. would not consider withholding weapons from Israel for blocking food and medicine from entering the enclave."
Do you need an astrologer or fortune teller to prove that the US is the Godfather of the current genocide? "The world has seen the images of patients and displaced persons, sheltering near Al Aqsa hospital, burning alive. Scores of others, including women and children, are suffering the excruciating pain of severe, life-changing burns. There is no way to get them the urgent care they need to survive and manage such injuries. If such horror does not awaken our sense of humanity and propel us to action, what will?" – OCHA before the Security Council.
As of October 15, the casualty toll in Gaza has now surpassed 42,227 Palestinians killed and 98,464 injured, with the vast majority of them being women and children. As of October 14, the detention toll reached 11,300 in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with 9,392 administrative detentions, 425 women, 745 children, and 112 media correspondents, 59 of whom are still in prison.
As of October 14, citing Save the Children, "Up to 400,000 Palestinians were … trapped across northern Gaza, with at least 300 people reportedly killed in nine days of bombardment, and a hospital sheltering thousands ablaze in the south with no end in sight to the incessant attacks on civilians… in the so-called 'humanitarian zone' in the south, patients and families sheltering in tents were engulfed by a massive fire triggered by an Israeli airstrike, with reports of deaths and multiple casualties."
On October 2024, 99 American medical professionals who voluntarily served in Gaza since October 7 signed an open letter to the US president and vice president. Among the many facts they raised about the catastrophic situation in Gaza, they also stated, "It is likely that the death toll from this conflict is already greater than 118,908, an astonishing 5.4% of Gaza’s population... In Gaza, we watched malnourished mothers feed their underweight newborns infant formula made with poisonous water. Women underwent vaginal deliveries and even C-sections without anesthesia and were given nothing but Tylenol afterward because no other pain medications were available. We wish to be absolutely clear: not once did any of us see any type of Palestinian militant activity in any of Gaza’s hospitals or other healthcare facilities."
The USA-backed Israeli occupation, right in front of the world’s eye, is intended to tame the international community’s consciousness and make the ongoing televised genocide the status quo and business as usual. In this connection, Israel refuses to cooperate with the UN Commission of Inquiries, citing its latest report A/79/232, "The Commission sent nine requests for information and access to the Government of Israel, two requests for information to the State of Palestine… The State of Palestine provided information. No response was received from Israel."
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh
Ambassador of the Embassy of the State of Palestine
X – Tweeter: @AM_Shawesh
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