By Harriet Tornguvan
The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, has called on the international community to take immediate and decisive action to enforce international law and uphold United Nations resolutions in response to escalating violence in Palestine.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, he emphasized the need for all available political, economic, legal, and diplomatic measures to halt what he described as “American-Israeli carnage and bloodshed.”
Ambassador Shawesh asserted that the ongoing violence perpetrated by the US and Israel against Palestinians serves as a wake-up call for humanity.
He argued that these actions target not only the Palestinian people but also the prevailing global economic and political systems established after World War II, which no longer align with US and certain Western powers' interests.
He further claimed that the continuous broadcasting of what he termed genocide, coupled with a blatant disregard for international law, is a direct warning to countries in the Global South.
"Accept the upcoming economic and political orders or face the same consequences as the Palestinian people."
As of September 3, he noted, the death toll in Palestine had reached 40,738, with 94,154 injuries, and thousands still missing beneath the rubble. He highlighted that 70% of the casualties are innocent women and children.
The ambassador also pointed out that the victims include elderly Palestinians, making up about 4% of the casualties.
Ambassador Shawesh reported that 10,400 Palestinians from the West Bank have been detained since October 7, including 725 children, 400 women, and 98 journalists.
He further alleged that over 60 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody in recent months, many due to medical neglect.
He drew attention to the ongoing crisis in education, stating that approximately 600,000 Gazan children have been denied the right to schooling for the second consecutive year because of the conflict. Additionally, he noted that about 70% of UNRWA schools have been either destroyed or severely damaged, leaving many of them overcrowded with displaced families.
The ambassador also underscored that the conflict is not confined to Gaza but extends to the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where Palestinian communities face daily attacks by settlers and Israeli forces.
He criticized the role of major arms exporters, particularly the United States, in exacerbating the conflict by violating the Arms Trade Treaty through the unlawful transfer of weapons.
According to Shawesh, more than 50,000 tons of arms and military equipment have been shipped from the United States to Israel since the war began in Gaza last October. He urged the international community to uphold the Arms Trade Treaty and stop supplying arms to Israel, given the substantial evidence of alleged war crimes.
Ambassador Shawesh called for global unity in enforcing international law and the resolutions adopted by the United Nations. He urged the use of all political, economic, legal, and diplomatic tools to end the violence, emphasizing that “no one is safe until everyone is safe.”
