By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
The nightmare must stop.We cannot continue to look away.António Guterres UN Secretary-General.
Ambassador of the Embassy of the State of Palestine to Nigeria Abdullah Abu Shawesh reflected sorrowfully on the 443 days of the ongoing United States and Israel genocidal war against the Palestinian people, he gave some statistics as proof of the hardship of the people of Palestine
"As of December 11, 44,786 Palestinians were killed and 106,188 were injured in Gaza alone, the vast majority of them children and women. More than 10,000 victims are still missing under the rubble or have completely evaporated due to the type of bombs used according to the latest medical estimates.
"Humanitarian aid to northern Gaza has largely been blocked for the past 66 days, that has left between 65,000 and 75,000 Palestinians without access to food, water, electricity or health care.
The Ambassador continued that, 7,160 families have been bombed Of them, 1,410 have been wiped out entirely, Israel's bombing of residential buildings occupied by uninvolved families is nothing new.
"The UN and partners estimate that at least US$6.6 billion is required to address the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian Territories.
Additionally, on December 11, the UNGA adopted two resolutions addressing the current devastating situation in Palestine. I would like to take this opportunity to extend many thanks to Nigeria and the other 159 Member States for their continued adherence to their long-standing and principled position of voting in favor of these resolutions.
"Israel has begun funding a coordinated global disinformation campaign as a new phase in its war against the UN in general and UNRWA in particular, using billboards and Google ads describing it as a terrorist organization. It is reported that Israel killed 251 UNRWA employees in its war on Gaza. Two-thirds of UNRWA buildings in Gaza have been hit, many directly and multiple times.
He stated that, according to the report prepared by Haaretz the Israel newspaper “Entire Families Were Crushed in Gaza by Israeli Airstrikes. Not Even Memories Remain in some strikes, as many as four generations in the same family have been killed as residential buildings get bombed. Including many small children. For some families, there is absolutely nothing left to tell their story.
He cited the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, “used Palestinian detainees as human shields, forcing them to warn hospital staff that all displaced persons and companions of patients must leave the premises and head to areas controlled by Israeli forces. Many were arrested upon arrival.
"The Israeli occupation army burned displaced people alive in the southern Gaza Strip after directly targeting their displacement tents, killing 22 Palestinians, half of whom were women and children. An additional 18 people suffered burn wounds during the attack.
Shawesh said that palestinian prisoners are subjected to unbearable Israeli methods of oppression and torture aimed at killing them, and at best ensuring that they suffer from many diseases for life even after they leave prison.
"The Israeli occupation has also deprived them of their basic rights to food, medical treatment, proper clothing and many other necessities of life, which has led to the martyrdom of 47 prisoners, bringing the total number to 284 since 1967.he added.
