Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki today briefed his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, on the latest developments in the barbaric Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, and the importance of France and Europe demanding an immediate halt to the aggression “because what we are witnessing in Gaza in terms of daily massacres and killing of civilians, especially women and children, requires a serious stance and steps.”
Malki said that Israel, as an occupying power, has no right to defend itself while it commits crimes and violates all the rules of international humanitarian law, adding that the “defend itself” pretext is tantamount to encouraging it to continue in its crimes and the killing of innocent civilians.
He also referred to the Israeli crimes in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, the silent annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory, the terrorism of the colonialists, the daily raids on Palestinian cities, towns and camps, the prevention of movement between cities, arbitrary arrests, the demolition of homes and the killing of innocent people, in a systematic and widespread policy.
Malki asked the French Minister to carefully view the crimes committed by Israel and the statements made by its officials, which constitute incitement and the commission of the crime of genocide.
He stressed the need to bring aid into the Gaza Strip as quickly as possible, as many hospitals have been out of service and many schools have been targeted. He noted the demands to send independent committees to expose the flimsy pretext used by Israel that schools and hospitals are used as human shields. He said that all previous international reports stated that schools or hospitals were never used for military purposes.
Malki stressed the need to reject and confront the Israeli plans calling for the forced transfer of the Palestinian population, and for countries to take effective steps to prevent Israel from repeating the crime of the Nakba, calling for actual steps for accountability.
He thanked France for its efforts in holding a high-level conference on humanitarian aid to Gaza, and for its positions and positive vote on Palestine’s resolutions in the General Assembly and Security Council, as well as in UNESCO and the resolution on Gaza.
In turn, the French Foreign Minister confirmed that the European positions are evolving, saying that she has returned from a meeting of European Union foreign ministers who are formulating a plan to deal with the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the importance of having a sustainable truce in the Gaza Strip.
She stressed that they are closely following developments on the ground and that their position is clear regarding the need for Israel to adhere to international law, referring to the clear positions of the French presidency in this regard.
source: WAFA
