The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah Abu Shawesh has expressed unreserved concern over the continuous hardship, oppression and aggression meted out to the Palestinians by the Isreali force.

 

Shawesh, who made this known on Wednesday in a press conference in Abuja, voiced his distress over the apparent complacency of world powers.

He stressed that, for the third month in a row, the Israeli government continues its piracy and theft of the Palestinian Clearing Fund, leaving the government unable to pay the salaries. Stating this is another step by the Isreali to strangle the already suffering Palestinian economy and push the Palestinians to the brink of the abyss.

He said, “I would like to remind you that this particular government deducted 600 million shekels ($160 m) last July, in addition to many other deductions, which made the Palestinian government able to pay only 80% of the salaries of its employees and retirees for more than two years in a row.

 

“While all respectable international reports speak of shortage of necessary food, and a farmine that will soon hit Gaza, Israel added insult to injury by requiring that the clearing fund be sent, minus the allocated amount that used to pay the Palestinian Authority employees and retirees in Gaza.

 

“It is clear evidence that Israel is waging a genocidal war against the Palestinian people, and this should be further evidence to support the SA file submitted to the International Court of Justice.

“The inhuman situation is taking many forms, one of which is having to stand in line for hours to use the limited bathrooms in the new displaced concentration camps. As we all learned from this experience, we need to review the Universal Declaration of Human Right for two main issues:First, to remove the word “universal” from its official name, as it will prove that the applicability of this right is very selective and limited.

 

“Second, we may need to add another human right to it, which is the right to dignified defecation. This might seem ironic and unbelievable, but Israeli acts are far beyond imagination, so we need solutions that are outside the box.

 

The Ambassador decried numbers and statistics should be used primarily in an optimistic manner to assist decision-makers and clarifying sustainable development plans. Ironically, in the case of Palestinians numbers became a means of treating innocent lives in an inhumane way.

He said, “The lives of Palestinians matter; we are not just numbers.

 

“So far, 65,000 tons of explosive materials have been dropped on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 32,500 innocent Palestinians. The majority of the victims, 70%, are children and women, with nearly 7,000 still missing under the rubble.

 

“Among the casualties are 337 medical rescue teams, 45 Civil Defense, and 119 journalists Additionally, 63,000 people have been injured, with 11,000 requiring urgent medical attention. There are also 10,000 cancer patients facing death due to a lack of necessary treatment, and 400,000 people suffering from infectious diseases due to crowded shelters.

“Furthermore, 99 medical staff have been arrested, and 2 million people (85% of the entire population) have been internally displaced, mainly in the south. Civilian infrastructure has also been heavily impacted, with 140 government buildings destroyed, 99 schools and universities partially or completely destroyed, and 161 mosques completely destroyed, with 253 partially destroyed.

 

“Additionally, 70,000 housing units have been totally destroyed, and 290,000 have been partially destroyed and rendered uninhabitable. Furthermore, 30 hospitals and 53 medical units are out of service, and 122 ambulances have been completely destroyed.

 

“The situation is exacerbated by the fact that only around 100 trucks of goods and products (human aid) are entering Gaza, compared to 500 trucks per day before the war, indicating an Israeli policy of starving the people of Gaza.

 

He further stated that, the above mentioned figures are still initial estimations as once the war comes to its end, the numbers and accurate figures will be even more horrific and shocking.

 

The Ambassador further called for the recognition of the State of Palestine by countries that have not yet recognized it, noting it must also be allowed to become a full member of the United Nations.

 

He said, this is the only way to reserve this widely agreed solution and is a practical reaction to Israeli intransigence and arrogance. Otherwise, it is just paying lip service to the Palestinians and giving them a pacifier.

 

Proffering measures that can be taken, Shawesh call Globally recognizing the state of Palestine with the recantation of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, supporting the South Africa case against Israel in the ICJ as well as support for the necessary funds possible to make their existence in their ancient land sustainable.