‘Only two-state solution will end Israel-Palestine conflict’

The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullah Shawesh, yesterday called on the international community to mediate for a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The envoy made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Shawesh said that since the invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces, more than 2.2 million civilians have been pushed into an unbearable situation.

“We condemn in strong terms the root causes of the disputes but we will not condemn the symptoms of the disputes. Over 1, 600 people have been jailed since October 7 in Gaza.

“We as Palestinian have one voice and we are calling for a ceasefire on both sides, also hostage from both should be released and sent back to their homes.”

Shawesh added that the number of Palestinians killed as of November 1, has exceeded 8,700 in Gaza and 114 in the occupied West Bank, while 73 per cent of them are children, women and the elderly.

“The total number of those injured in Gaza are over 20, 000, while in the West Bank is 2,000, and the missing people in Gaza under the rubbles are around 1,500.”

Meanwhile, a top official from the United Nations in New York has resigned over the organisation’s “failure” to stop what he claimed was a “textbook case of genocide” unfolding in Gaza.

“I write at a moment of great anguish for the world, including for many of our colleagues,” said Craig Mokhiber from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in his resignation letter dated 28 October.

“This will be my last communication to you,” he wrote to UN’s High Commissioner in Geneva, Volker Turk.

The official recounted his experiences “in these halls through the genocides against the Tutsis, Bosnian Muslims, the Yazidi, and the Rohingya”.

This is coming as United Nations Human Rights Office on Wednesday, said the deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip’s largest refugee camp “could amount to war crimes”.

Israeli strikes have attacked the Jabalia refugee camp twice in two days, killing dozens, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

Israel said its Tuesday’s raid was a successful hit on top Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari.

“Given the high number of civilian casualties & the scale of destruction following Israeli air strikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes,” the office wrote on X, formerly Twitter.