‘SPEAKING on Saturday, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, accused the United States of being complicit in war crimes, after it vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Out of 15 of the Security Council members, 13 countries voted in favour of the resolution calling for a ceasefire. The US’s ‘running dog’ the UK abstained from the vote, to signal its solidarity with the USA!
Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, said he held Washington responsible for ‘the bloodshed of Palestinian children, women, and elderly in Gaza at the hands of Israeli occupation forces’.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Saturday he appreciated the ‘correct stance’ the US had taken at the Security Council, and he would now get on with the job of driving the Palestinian people out of their historic home.
The Israeli army has been repeatedly instructing some two million Palestinians that it must move to a ‘humanitarian zone’ that is smaller than London’s Heathrow Airport.
Al-Mawasi zone is a narrow strip of land by the Mediterranean Sea. It has few buildings and largely consists of sandy dunes and agricultural land.
The zone designated as safe by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), is just 8.5 square kilometres (3.3 square miles).
The first mention of the humanitarian zone was on 18th October, when the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson posted on X: ‘The IDF orders Gaza residents to move to the humanitarian zone in the area of al-Mawasi, to which international humanitarian aid will be directed if necessary.’
Another post, from 21st October, was more to the point and stated that: ‘If your life and the lives of those you love are important to you, head south of Wadi Gaza. We advise you to arrive at the humanitarian area in Mawasi according to our instructions.’
In fact, Israel, backed by the US and the UK is preparing to force the Palestinians in Gaza en masse into Egypt, according to the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini issued the warning in an op-ed for the LA Times on Saturday, as 1.9 million Palestinians remain trapped on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip amid dire humanitarian conditions.
‘The developments we are witnessing, point to attempts to move Palestinians into Egypt, regardless of whether they stay there or are resettled elsewhere,’ wrote Lazzarini, adding that the Israeli military’s destruction of northern Gaza was ‘the first stage of such a scenario’.
‘Its advancing campaign in the southern city of Khan Younis, which has pushed Palestinians from there to the far southern tip of the enclave, is the next phase. If this path continues, leading to what many are already calling a second Nakba, Gaza will not be a land for Palestinians anymore,’ Lazzarini said.
On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki pointed out that Palestinian human rights, including the right to life, have been violated for 75 years.
He emphasised that the deliberate and widespread Israeli occupation crimes and abuses violate all provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, contradicting the noble goals that do not align with the Israeli colonial thought, denying the rights that form the foundation of freedom, justice, and global peace.
Al-Maliki stressed that for over 64 days, the Palestinian people in Gaza have been facing a ‘relentless Israeli aggression and a vindictive war filled with hatred, killings, starvation, aid cuts, and disruptions to essential services like water and electricity.
‘This has resulted in the death of over 17,700 Palestinians, injuring more than 48,780, and causing disabilities, burns, and permanent deformities due to the use of internationally prohibited weapons, including white phosphorus.’
He added: ‘Israeli violations and inhumane crimes extend beyond Gaza, with Israeli occupation forces killing at least 275 Palestinians across the West Bank, including Jerusalem, since October 7, 2023. Among them are 63 children. The total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year has exceeded 483, with more than 3,200 injured.’
Hundreds of thousands of workers and youth in the UK have been demonstrating their support for Palestine. The UK trade unions must join this battle and must tell the TUC to call a general strike to smash the Tories and give 100 per cent support to the struggle to liberate Palestine and give massive support to the liberation of Palestine by the Palestinian people.
