By Desire Tshuma
Apartheid Israel is extending its failed genocidal military campaign in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank driven by very clear motives of annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory and the ethnic cleansing of large sectors of the Palestinian population through Israel’s daily raids, settler terrorism, killing of Palestinians, expansion of settlements, religious provocations by Israeli government officials at Al-Aqsa Mosque and large-scale aggression on Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarm, which has so far resulted in the killing dozens of Palestinians .
In the first half of 2024, at least 632 Palestinians had been killed with 5,400 wounded in the West Bank while at least 1,000 Palestinians were forcefully displaced while nearly 160,000 were affected by home demolitions and 0ver 10 000 Palestinians are detained in Israel jails. Israel’s clear strategic goal is annexing the whole Palestinian territory, even though the International Court of Justice resolved on 19 July that Israel’s “annexation and… assertion of permanent control” in the West Bank is illegal.
“To avoid an even greater war and genocide than that which is taking place before our eyes in Gaza, the international community must use all available means to enforce international law and bring to an end Israel’s brutal, genocidal occupation of Palestine” said Ambassador Dr Almassri .
The state of Palestine also condemns the threats of extremist Minister Ben Gvir to establish and build a Jewish synagogue in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and considers them a public and explicit call to demolish it and build the alleged temple in its place.
“We hold the Israeli occupation government fully and directly responsible for the results of this incitement practiced by Ben Gvir and call for the international community to take effective action to force it to put an end to Ben Gvir’s provocative practices and statements by imposing deterrent sanctions on extremist settler elements who promote escalation of violence and expanding the circle of conflict” concluded Ambassador Dr Tamer Almassri.
