The federal government has urged Israel and Palestine to immediately cease the violence and the resulting harm to innocent civilians, stating that no alternative would be acceptable.

The call comes after an attack on the Rafah displacement camps in southern Gaza on Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 45 people.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported early Monday that at least 35 people were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli strikes on a centre for displaced people near the Palestinian territory’s far-southern city of Rafah.

Israel’s army stated that it had killed two senior Hamas officials in an airstrike on a compound in the city and acknowledged reports of civilian harm in the incident.

The Gazan ministry stated that Israeli strikes “claimed the lives of 35 martyrs and left dozens injured, most of them children and women.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, condemned the Rafah attacks in a statement on Thursday.

Tuggar compared the Rafah attacks to previous incidents such as the bombing of the Al Shifa Hospital in early April, the serial bombing of schools, particularly in Khan Younis, the March 2024 bombing of the Firas Market and the Nuseirat Refugee Camp Market, and the drone attacks on the World Central Kitchen aid staff in April.

He described these incidents as “a most regrettable affront on humanity, which must be denounced in its entirety.”

“Nigeria is, therefore, as grossly concerned about the safety and welfare of the civilian population of Gaza as it is about the protection of the dignity and sacredness of human life in the enclave,” Tuggar said.

“It deplores the already mature humanitarian catastrophe that has developed out of this regrettable situation. Nigeria is greatly dismayed at the flagrant disregard of ceasefire agreements, the violation of humanitarian corridors, and the deliberate sabotaging of aid and relief efforts.”

He added that Nigeria “strongly maintains” that the fundamental human rights, including and especially those to life, of the vulnerable civilian population of Gaza “must be preserved at all costs.”

Tuggar noted Nigeria’s grave concern for the safety and welfare of the civilian population of Gaza and deplored the humanitarian catastrophe that has developed.

The Foreign Affairs minister, however, called on all stakeholders, including the warring parties, both Israel and Palestine, to intensify efforts towards a speedy resolution of the conflict and the immediate cessation of the attendant carnage on the defenceless people, not just in Gaza but on both sides of the divide.

He added that “no lesser alternative will be acceptable” and reaffirmed the country’s position towards a two-state solution as an amelioration of the prevailing situation.

Tuggar stated, “Nigeria, therefore, strongly maintains the stance that the fundamental human rights, including and especially that to life, of the vulnerable civilian population of Gaza must be preserved at all cost. We call on all stakeholders-including the warring parties (Israel and Palestine),

“The United Nations, especially its Security Council, the European Union, human rights groups, civil society organisations, world leaders and the international community to intensify efforts towards a speedy resolution of the conflict, and the immediate cessation of the attendant
carnage on the defenceless people, not just of Gaza, but on both sides of the divide. No lesser alternative will be acceptable.

“While we consider an intervention on behalf of the people of Gaza as a far-reaching contribution to preservation of humanity and its values, we also reaffirm our position regarding the two-state solution as vital to the amelioration of the prevailing situation.”