The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah Mohammed Shawesh has said that apart from taking measures to end the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, the international community must be firm, uphold the truth and listen to Palestinians.
The Palestinian ambassador said this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday at a forum organised by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), asserting that with the ongoing war in Gaza, no one is a winner but everyone is a loser.
He said though Palestine was definitely not seeking support from anyone in the ongoing war on Gaza, its position deserved to be heard by the international community.
The Palestinian ambassador not that it would be wrong for anyone to take the ongoing war on Gaza as an Israel/Palestine problem, insisting that the entire world is interconnected and what affect one affects all.
“We are not looking for support but we are seeking to be listened to. We are owed the moral duty of being listened to.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe. This is very important. The international community should ensure peace return to Gaza and Palestine,” Ambassador Shawesh said.
According to him, events leading to the current Israeli war on Gaza did not just start from October 7, 2023 but preceded by events, spanning over 160 years ago when the United Kingdom took Palestinian land and gave same to European Jewish people and culminated to the 1948 decision of the United Nations to create the state of Israel.
He submitted that October 7 was a very tragic day in the annal of Palestine and lamented that no one is talking about the atrocities Israel is committing against Palestinians after October 7.
While saying that despite its resolve to eliminate Palestinian fighters and subsequently liberate the 105 hostages taken by Palestinian fighters, the ambassador informed that Israel was yet to achieve any of these, declaring that, “In this war all of us are losers, but Israel is the big loser.
“Israel has not succeeded in liberating a single hostage or eliminate Palestinian fighters. Israel has completely lost its credibility.”
Shawesh said the mainstream media had not been biased in their reportage of the Palestinian issues, adding that social media has been able to provide the people the opportunity to tell their own story.
He added that the media have the moral duty to ensure an end to the Israeli activities against Palestinians as well as listen to the Palestinian people.
According to him, though Palestinians would not accept to be slaves on their land, negotiation remained the only way out of the Palestine/Israel crisis.
He asserted that the concept of Palestine goes beyond territory/land but is engraved in the hearts of Palestinians, saying that, “Our country (Palestine) is living in us. Palestine is beyond and above the land
Speaking on the relationship between his country and Nigeria, Shawesh said there was a strong relationship between the two countries.
“We have a very strong relationship with Nigeria. Nigeria is one of our very strong supporters in the international arena.”
“Some Palestinians have become Nigerians. Some of them are already married to Nigerians and part of Nigerian people are married to Palestinian women. We have a very strong relationship with Nigeria since a very long time ago,” the ambassador said.
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