Listen carefully to the Honorable Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK:
An apocalyptic situation in Gaza! The only hope is an immediate ceasefire. Comprehensive. Permanent. Stop the aggression. Any other issues are secondary.
The normalisation of mass killing of children, mass destruction of homes, schools; the normalisation of starvation, of the use of diseases as a weapon, is the most dangerous thing that has happened since WW2.
(Notes from press conference in London, Jan. 16. 2024: full video below, including Q&A)
• 85.000 killed/wounded in a hundred days!
• 850 killed/wounded per day, a large percentage women and children
• 70% of people's housings damaged
• Civilian infrastructure destroyed
• Gaza has been made unliveable
• 85% forcefully displaced, still being bombed in “safe areas”
• The displaced forced to live in tents
• No running water, electricity or fuel due to the Israeli siege
• Barely food, 2,3 million people are being starved
• 93% now suffer from hunger and malnutrition
• Only eight of 38 Palestinian hospitals are partially functioning
• Infectious diseases are reaching pandemic dimensions
Israel uses starvation & and disease as a weapon of war. Destruction of healthcare causes deaths due to lack of regular medical care.
Scale and timeframe are unprecedented.
Also increased attacks on the West Bank.
Deliberate genocide and ethnic cleansing. Israel has shown intent and execution, and talks about Amalek.
US/UK are supporting starvation and extermination of an entire population.
Israel engaged in a war of vengeance and political survival of Netanyahu. They say “no one will stop them”. Israel will not respect the highest court of the human family.
There is no military solution. There is only a political and legal solution. All eyes are on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), thanks to South Africa. This is the first serious international effort to give Palestinians equal rights in 75 years.
UN Security Council has for decades failed to implement its own resolutions on Palestine. 80 resolutions stand unimplemented. UN need to implement its resolutions. No negotiations are needed. Remove the US veto on Palestine and allow it to become a full member state.
First, address the immediate cause: The aggression on Gaza, this atrocious, murderous campaign. Then the military occupation and colonisation of Palestine.
"Address the root cause: Israel's illegal and brutal military occupation of Palestinian land, the theft of our resources the subjugation of our people, the oppression of our people, the apartheid regime they have erected, the besiegement of our entire population in Gaza and all other documented violations for 75 years.”
"Who will take a stance for international law? …Anyone who blocks this venue supports violence.”
“This is the first time in history that a genocide is recorded by the people who were executed."
“The issue is not religion. Religion is innocent. This is not a Muslim-Jewish issue. The issue is the oppression.”
“All settlements and settlers are illegal.”
Massive humanitarian efforts are needed. A humongous rebuilding effort is required. Want to be able to send children to school, and hospitals, to make Gaza liveable again.
On the question on pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the media's headlines regarding arrests: “A few arrests from hundreds of thousands of people. Let's not desecrate the only beautiful thing that happened in the last hundred days, which is the outpouring, raw emotions and solidarity of ordinary people and families."
Ambassador Husam Zomlot:
@hzomlot
Video by Guardian News,
@guardiannews youtube.com/watch?v=lAjdqgDR…
