By Helen Udoh,Outlook Media ABUJA.
In a poignant address on June 5, 2024 Ambassador Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh of the Palestinian Embassy expressed profound gratitude to Nigeria for its staunch support of the World Health Organization resolution and the Palestinian amendments passed last Friday. He called on Nigeria to utilize its influential political standing to ensure equilibrium on the global stage and to prevent the emergence of a lawless international order.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh also spotlighted the dire conditions of Palestinian prisoners. According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, since October 7, 16 prisoners have been executed in Israeli prisons due to severe beatings, medical negligence, and torture. A preliminary satellite analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) revealed that 55% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged by the ongoing conflict.
The critical issue of water scarcity was also addressed. The Ambassador noted that Israel controls 88% of Palestinian water resources in the Occupied West Bank, allowing Israeli settlers to consume nine and a half times more water than Palestinian citizens. Palestinians only have access to 105 million cubic meters of the 400 million cubic meters needed annually, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, emphasizing Palestine’s rich cultural and historical heritage. He refuted the narrative that Palestine was a “land without people” before the establishment of Israel, asserting the longstanding presence and significance of the Palestinian people.
Citing a UN report, the Ambassador highlighted the severe humanitarian situation in Rafah, where facilities are shutting down due to inadequate aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a 67% reduction in humanitarian supplies since May 7, leading to the closure of kitchens, clinics, and hospitals.
The Ambassador condemned proposed Israeli laws aimed at further displacing Palestinians and urged national parliaments worldwide to cut ties with Israel until these laws were dismantled and settlement expansion ceased.
In a significant development, Israel has moved to cut ties with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and label it a terrorist organization, following unproven allegations against UNRWA staff related to the October 7 incident. The European Union condemned this action, emphasizing UNRWA’s crucial role in Gaza’s humanitarian efforts.
The Ambassador praised Slovenia’s recent recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state, achieved through a decisive parliamentary vote. He presented grim statistics about the ongoing conflict: as of June 4th, 36,550 Palestinians have lost their lives, 82,959 have been injured, and nearly 10,000 are missing under rubble, with the majority being women and children.
Ambassador Abu Shawesh concluded by criticizing the suppression of freedom of expression in some Western democracies, where criticism of the Israeli occupation is often mischaracterized as hate speech or Anti-Semitism, thereby restricting open discourse on the issue.
