By Harriet Tornguvan
The ongoing Israeli bombardment of Rafah has reached an unbearable level. To ensure the safety of civilians in the south, it is crucial for the international community to leverage peaceful, legal, economic, and diplomatic means to pressure Israel into complying with international law and agreed resolutions.
Abdallah M. Abu Shawesh, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Nigeria, has vehemently condemned the ongoing Israeli military actions in Rafah. On the 237th day of what he describes as a "televised and live-streamed genocide" against the Palestinian people, he emphasized the apparent selective application of international law, which seems to burden southern countries disproportionately.
In a press statement issued Thursday in Abuja, the Ambassador provided grim statistics: as of May 29, there have been 36,096 Palestinian deaths and 81,136 injuries, with nearly 10,000 individuals still missing under rubble.
The conflict in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 224 humanitarian workers, including more than 190 personnel from UNRWA and other UN agencies, with national staff comprising over 90% of those affected.
Citing UN experts, Mr. Shawesh called for an immediate halt to the flow of arms into Israel, arguing these weapons are being used to cause brutal harm to Palestinian civilians. He reported that five percent of Gaza’s population has been killed or injured, over 70 percent of homes have been destroyed, and more than 75 percent of the population has been displaced.
As of May 26, Mr. Shawesh noted, 8,875 Palestinians had been arrested since October 7 in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, including 295 women, 630 children, and 76 journalists. Of these, 5,900 are held under administrative detention. Eighteen detainees have died in Israeli prisons and military camps, with 16 of their bodies still withheld.
Mr. Shawesh referenced a report by EuroMid Human Rights Monitor titled "Hostages of Israeli Revenge in the Gaza Strip," which documents severe human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and inhuman treatment of thousands of Palestinian civilians since October 7, 2023.
The Ambassador highlighted the severe impact on children and women, the extensive destruction in Gaza, and the lack of decisive action from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) despite the ongoing genocide.
The ICJ has issued four provisional measures for Israel, including halting the Rafah military operation, opening the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid, allowing a UN inquiry commission, and providing access to fact-finding committees, with a report due within one month of implementation, He said.
Despite these measures, Mr. Shawesh pointed out that Israel has escalated its attacks on Rafah, targeting displaced persons' camps and resulting in significant civilian casualties, predominantly women and children. This situation aligns with the calls from Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who has urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel, halt the supply of weapons, and suspend diplomatic relations until Israel adheres to international law.
