Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdallah Abu Shawesh, has accused Israel of carrying out what he termed “textbook genocide” in Gaza.
He made the accusation at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday in response to the Israeli troops’ entering into Gaza’s biggest hospital – Al Shifa Hospital.
Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has become the main target of the ground operation by Israeli forces, who say Hamas fighters have the headquarters of its operations in tunnels beneath it, which Hamas denies.
World attention has been focused on the fate of hundreds of patients trapped inside without power to operate basic medical equipment and thousands of displaced civilians who had sought shelter there.
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Gaza officials say many patients including three newborn babies died in recent days as a result of Israel’s encirclement of the facility.
The United States said on Tuesday that its own intelligence supported Israel’s conclusions about the presence of a Hamas headquarters at Al Shifa.
But speaking on Wednesday, the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria said the Israeli troops found nothing in the hospital.
“Despite the Israeli military’s claims on November 5, 2023, ‘of Hamas’ cynical use of hospitals’, no evidence put forward would justify depriving hospitals and ambulances of their protected status under international humanitarian law,” he said.
“With the deepest sorrow, the death toll among the Palestinian civilians exceeded the 12,000, the majority of them are children and women. Out of more than 2000 still missing, there have been groaning still coming from under the rubble which means that some are still breathing and fighting for their lives.
“To implement its long-run plan, Israel wants to destroy all the infrastructures in Gaza so that it will become unlivable after the war and that will push the civilians to leave it.”
He called on all international bodies to hold Israel accountable for its actions in line with international legal obligations.
“Only such action can stop its war crimes, crimes against humanity and state terrorism against the Palestinian people, saving lives and our region from implosion,” Mr Abu Shawesh said.
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