By Joy Odor
Abdullah Abu Shawesh, the Nigeria Ambassador of the Embassy of the State of Palestine has confirmed that as at May 22, 2024, about 35,647 Palestinian have been martyrs, 79,852 injuries, and 10,000 missing which 72% of them are women and children.
Shawesh therefore called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to adhere to their mandate and conduct periodic visits to Palestinian prisoners to ensure that they are treated in accordance with the requirements of international law and Israeli adherence to its obligations as an occupying Power, as well as to report and document their conditions.
Palestinian Amb to Nigeria who made this known at the press conference in Abuja informed that 285 square kilometers, or approximately 78 per cent of the Gaza Strip are now subject to evacuation orders by the Israeli military.
According to him, only five bakeries remain operational in all of Gaza and nearly a dozen others have ceased operations due to fuel and supply shortages.
He lamented that since October 7 and as of May 19, the number of detainees has reached 8,775, noting that all Palestinian prisoners and detainees are subjected to ill-treatment, starvation, medical neglect, and dehumanization among a list of other Israeli torture methods and measures.
He said “ln the 230th day of the world’s first televised and live streamed heinous and vicious genocide in Palestine.
From Al Nakba to the current Genocide, 76 years of continuous unjust and inhuman situations that Palestinians endure.
Accusing anyone who criticizes the Israeli occupation of being Anti-Semite is ridiculous blackmail and intimidation.
“As of 11 May, up to 1.7 million people (over 75 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, the majority multiple times… Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety.
As of 12 May, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 189, an increase of one since the last report.”
Upon the request of South Africa, the ICJ started another round of hearings last Thursday, May 16.
We call for the ICC to issue a decisive and clear cut order to stop the Israeli genocide war, if it’s not now, then when, if it’s not the ICJ, then who?
Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the ICC, is seeking to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister and his war minister Yoav Galant on charges of committing war crimes.
In a press statement, Khan said, “On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine”.
Citing the Euromed Monitor, “Generally, the ICC has dealt with the situation in Palestine from the beginning with repeated and unjustified delays and procrastination.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted the ICC to open an investigation within less than a month, while it took over six years for the ICC to finally announce the opening of an investigation into the situation in Palestine on 3 March 2021.”
The ICC has numerous country offices worldwide that investigate many crimes. Building on that, we call for the ICC to establish and open a new office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the previous Israeli aggressions and the ongoing genocide war.
By doing so the court will be able to meet directly with the victims or / and their families, cooperate with the Palestinians national authorities, and the specialized local bodies.
We call on the ICC prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for all Israeli and other foreign officials who advocate for and incite genocide against the Palestinian people.
Khan says “some elected leaders told him that the ICC was built for Africa and “thugs like Vladimir Putin”, the Russian president.”
We condemn threats and intimidation against the International Criminal Court and its officials and consider its role in preventing impunity to be essential. Those who do not abide by and comply with international law should not complain when the UN high court takes action.
We call on States parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which include, among other things, opening a criminal investigation in their national courts to prosecute and arrest violators of the Convention.
Since May 6, the start of the new Israeli military offensive round on Rafah and the takeover of the only crossing point connecting Gaza to the world, nearly 800,000 Palestinians were displaced and forcibly evacuated from Rafah towards the north.
UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini stated, “The claim that people in Gaza can move to “safe” or “humanitarian” zones is false. Each time, it puts the lives of civilians at serious risk. Gaza does not have any safe zones. No place is safe. No one is safe.” he said.
