Palestine – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed yesterday, Sunday, that his priority is to prevent the invasion of the city of Rafah, stressing the importance of accelerating the introduction of aid into the Gaza Strip.
This came during his meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
He added: “The urgent matter and priority for us is to prevent the Israeli occupation forces from invading the city of Rafah, to which more than 1.5 million Palestinians have been displaced, which will create a humanitarian catastrophe.”
He called for “a greater international effort to prevent Israel from launching such an attack, and to oblige it to stop its aggression immediately, open all crossings leading to the Gaza Strip to bring in relief aid, and begin reconstruction.”
On Friday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced its approval of the possible “military operation plans” in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, despite international warnings, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
Abbas briefed his guest on “the latest developments in the political situation in the Palestinian Territory (…) and the efforts made to immediately stop the war of extermination to which our people are being exposed.”
The Palestinian President stressed “the importance of accelerating the entry of humanitarian, relief and medical aid into the Gaza Strip, and increasing it, so that shelter centers and hospitals can play their role in providing what is necessary to alleviate the suffering of citizens.”
In turn, Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh briefed the Brazilian minister “on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories in light of the continued aggression of the occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem,” according to a statement issued by Shtayyeh’s office.
Shtayyeh said, “The priority is to stop the fire and aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, and to open all crossings with the Strip to bring in relief and medical aid to meet the needs, and to restore electricity and water.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad Al-Maliki, also briefed his counterpart, the Brazilian Foreign Minister, on the situation in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, explaining that it is “no less dangerous than the situation in the Gaza Strip,” according to a statement by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry after the two ministers met at the ministry’s headquarters in the city of Ramallah.
Al-Maliki added: “The terrorist colonists attack Palestinian cities, villages and communities and destroy, burn and kill, all under the protection of the Israeli army, in addition to the presence of more than 700 military checkpoints that cut off the West Bank, paralyze the movement of citizens and prevent them from moving freely.”
In turn, Brazilian Minister Mauro Vieira affirmed his country’s “endless” support for the rights of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, and that the two-state solution is “indispensable.”
He stressed that Brazil and its president reject “the genocide taking place in the Gaza Strip.” Pointing out the need to “stop the war of genocide and allow humanitarian aid to enter the Strip.”
He also stressed the important role of UNRWA and the necessity of continuing to support it, saying: “The work of an organization should not be completely stopped based on allegations at this moment of which nothing has been proven.”
He added, “Brazil will increase its aid this year to UNRWA.”
Since January 26, 18 countries and the European Union have suspended their funding to UNRWA, before some of them later withdrew, against the backdrop of Israeli allegations that employees of the agency participated in an attack on settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7, while the agency announced that it was investigating these matters. The allegations.
Anatolia
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2024-04-22 09:38:07