By Janet Ekstract – NEW YORK – Despite a new U.N. resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan, a release of all hostages and access to humanitarian aid, Israel is ignoring the resolution. Meanwhile, on a visit in the occupied West Bank, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and lauded the U.N. Security Council resolution, saying it’s “in the absolute interest of the people of Israel that we come to a ceasefire now, so that the hostages can be released.” The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution and urged countries who have supported Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory to reverse their position “to stand on the right side of history and side with international law and international humanitarian law.” Last week, on the sidelines of the Brussels EU leaders and European Summit, the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said they are ready to recognize a Palestinian state as the “only way to achieve peace and security.” The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the joint statement as a “step in the right direction.” The Palestinian Authority has been urging the EU and the U.S. to recognized a Palestinian state as a stalemate in talks between Israel and Hams continues.
As Israel continues its fighting around Rafah, the U.S. and the international community including the U.N. chief Antonio Guterres continue to urge Israel to abide by international law and honor the resolution. But Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu is having none of it while Israeli media brands him “delusional,” “terrifying” and as the left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz branded him: “Israel’s agent of destruction” who “has become a burden for Israel.” While the Israeli media is busy excoriating Netanyahu, a majority of Israelis continue to demand Netanyahu resign from the government which is exactly what he refuses to do. As The Guardian explained in an article on March 26, even Israel’s center-right Yedioth Ahronoth slammed Netanyahu in an unflattering cartoon. As if that’s not enough, an independent U.N.-appointed expert, Francesca Albanese said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” Israel’s actions in Gaza had met the threshold for “acts of genocide.” Israel rejected her report which she is due to present to the U.N. Human Rights Council on March 26, labeling it an “obscene inversion of reality.” But Albanese is not the only one who has called out Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide – South Africa who brought its case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also known as the World Court – presented clear evidence several months ago. Turkiye and other countries also presented documentation and video evidence for proof of what it termed Israel’s intentions of “genocide” against the Palestinian people.
Photo : AA
