Harare, (New Ziana) – Palestine on Tuesday condemned renewed Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip, and incitement by senior officials of Jewish settlers to grab land in the territory.
Palestine ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tamer Almassri particularly took a swipe at Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of fuelling extremism and undermining international efforts to end the conflict.
“We strongly condemn the dangerous and provocative actions of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in inciting thousands of Israeli settlers and extremists to gather along the Gaza perimeter, openly calling for the re-establishment of illegal Israeli settlements within the besieged Gaza Strip,” he said.
He argued that any attempt to revive Israeli settlements in Gaza would amount to further land confiscation and would violate international law.
According to Ambassador Almassri, the latest developments reflect what he described as the international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for repeated breaches of international law.
“This blatant push for further land theft is a direct consequence of the international community’s historic failure to hold Israel accountable for its continuous violations of international law,” he said.
He alleged that Israeli forces currently occupy and control more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, where, he said, military operations continue despite the announcement of a ceasefire.
He claimed that violence had persisted even after the ceasefire arrangement, resulting in further civilian casualties.
“Since the implementation of the so-called ceasefire, continuous military aggression has killed 1,123 Palestinians in Gaza, bringing the devastating total to 73,283 Palestinians killed since the onset of the genocide in 2023,” Almassri said.
He further accused Israeli occupation forces of continuing military operations across Gaza, saying the attacks had worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis.
According to Ambassador Almassri, ongoing military operations, civilian deaths, restrictions on humanitarian assistance, and the shrinking areas available for civilians have accelerated the collapse of essential services across the war-ravaged territory.
He said the worsening humanitarian situation demanded urgent international intervention to protect civilians and uphold international humanitarian law.
He urged the United Nations, international human rights organisations and the broader global community to take stronger action beyond issuing statements of concern.
“The State of Palestine reiterates its call on the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and the global community to move beyond diplomatic statements and enforce concrete sanctions, international law, and legal accountability to stop Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide, land confiscation, and forced displacement,” he said.
The remarks come amid continued international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the conflict has left widespread destruction, displaced large numbers of civilians and intensified calls from various governments and humanitarian organisations for a lasting ceasefire and increased humanitarian access.
New Ziana
