By Joy Odor
The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah Abu Shawesh has affirmed that the ongoing war in Gaza, the bombardment from American warplanes over Gaza’s skies has robbed Palestinian children of their safety, joys of childhood, including bedtime stories.
Abu Shawesh who criticized what he described as “man-made hunger” in Gaza while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, informed that more than 1 million people were left without food rations in August, with the number rising to 1.4 million in September.
He lamented that the Bedtime stories have long been absent from the lives of Palestinian children and draw attention to the harsh realities that have replaced the once-simple joys of childhood.
The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria attributed this to the blockade that has restricted access to vital food supplies, as well as the destruction of nearly 70% of Gaza’s agricultural fields.
He disclosed that the devastating toll of 363 days of continuous bombardment has destroyed over 41,000 Palestinian lives, many of them women and children.
Abu Shawesh emphasized the long-lasting physical and psychological trauma inflicted on survivors, citing reports from Human Rights Watch and UNICEF about malnutrition, dehydration, and severe injuries sustained by thousands of Palestinian children, many of whom have lost limbs.
He also aimed at Israel’s treatment of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, whom Israel declared persona non grata after being included on the UN’s “list of shame” for grave violations against children.
Shawesh called this decision “the worst rude farce and dark comedy in political history,” noting that while most of the UN Security Council stands in support of Guterres, the United States has remained silent.
He criticize that despite international calls for an end to arms transfer to Israel, the U.S. recently approved an $8.7 billion aid package to support Israel’s military.
He questioned whether the ongoing conflict should be viewed as a war between the U.S. and the Palestinian people, given the level of U.S. military support.
“As American warplanes thunder over Gaza’s skies, families are left scrambling for safety, with many unable to pass down the cherished traditions and stories that once shaped their cultural heritage.
“There are no beds for stories in plastic tents where children are forced to sleep on the ground. The roar of American warplanes drowns out the voices of grandmothers who once told tales at night.
“The roar of American warplanes drowns out the voices of grandmothers who once told tales at night. By the time the warplanes leave Gaza’s skies, the grandmothers may be gone, and their grandchildren might never know the stories meant for them.
“Yet, the countless taboos and hardships have not broken our spirits or our yearning for freedom. Nor have they extinguished our love for storytelling.
“We will continue to remember our bedtime tales and pass them to the next generation.
“Through love, we will live, smile, and dream. We are the Phoenix.
“An entire population is forced to rely on humanitarian aid,” he said, condemning the conditions as a deliberate strategy of war.
“363 days of relentless, barbaric, and vicious bombardment with different types of American weapons left behind no less than 41,615 martyrs and 96,359 injured, the vast majority of whom were women and children. 902 families were completely erased from the Palestinian civil registry” he lamented.
Ambassador Shawesh therefore promised that despite the countless taboos and hardships, the Palestinians spirits have not been broken, nor has they yearned for freedom.
He reaffirmed the resilience of the Palestinian people, expressing hope that their stories of love, survival, and resistance will continue to be passed on to future generations.
“Thank you, Gaza, for revealing their true colours,” he concluded, urging the world to take notice of the ongoing injustices and the human cost of the conflict” Shawesh ended.
