daniel chigunwe
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE State of Palestine has condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has escalated to a policy of systematic destruction of infrastructure and displacement.
After failing to achieve its plan of mass expulsion of Palestinians from their home, apartheid Israel has embarked on a campaign to systematically demolish Gaza’s infrastructure, effectively aiming to “flatten” the territory and force Palestinians to flee.
State of Palestine Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr Tamer Almassri, said the barbaric act constituted a war crime and was a grave breach of international humanitarian law.
Amb Almassri said the Israeli military was systematically targeting civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship.
“Essential services like water, electricity, and sanitation have been severely disrupted, leaving millions of Palestinians without access to basic necessities,” he said.
“This policy of “scorched earth” is a deliberate attempt to displace the Palestinian population and ethnically cleanse Gaza. The destruction of homes, infrastructure, and vital services is designed to make life unbearable for Palestinians, forcing them to seek refuge elsewhere. 90 percent of Gaza buildings have been destroyed with over 2 million Palestinians displaced.”
Amb Almassri said after Israel failed in the ethnic cleansing, genocide, massacres and other horrible crimes against humanity, it could not break the will of Palestinians and they will never raise the white flag or leave their homeland either in Gaza or the West Bank.
The State of Palestine has also called upon the international community to condemn unequivocally Israel’s war crimes and impose immediate, effective sanctions on Israel to deter further aggression.
“The State of Palestine is also appalled by the inaction of the international community in the face of the belligerent war-mongering State of Israel which continues to push the region towards the abyss of a comprehensive regional war that will have far-reaching consequences.
“That impunity encourages the Israeli occupation to continue committing its crimes against the Palestinian people who have suffered 76 years of injustice, oppression, apartheid and ethnic cleansing. The State of Palestine reiterates its commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and the right to return to their homes.
“Israel must be held accountable for its crimes and compelled to end its illegal occupation,” Amb Almassri said.
