The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Abdullah Abu Shawesh, has called for a holistic approach to the release of over 7,000 Palestinians that were held behind bars in Israel before the current Hamas-Israeli hostility.
Amb. Shawesh also said there should not be a timeline to hostage-release from both camps.
Amb. Abdullah Shawesh said this while briefing diplomatic correspondents in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
According to the envoy, “every Palestinian is for peace and looking forward to all hostages going to their homes, regardless of nationalities.”
He, however, noted that that the release should not just be about the Israeli hostages alone, calling for that of the West Bank and the 2.3 million residents of Gaza under Israeli siege.
“There are 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and have been subjected and held hostage by the Israeli since 2007.
“More than 7,000 are in Israeli jail, including 300 children. So, when we talk about hostage solution, it should be collective on both sides.
“We cannot just talk about one side. I strongly believe that all the hostages, regardless of their nationalities should be back home tonight.
“The Israelis and the Palestinians… and Gaza should be free and likewise West Bank.
“The people of Gaza should not be subjected to Israeli siege.
“We want the ceasefire and also to ensure that there is no one Israeli or Palestinian hostage.
“We hope that all the hostages – that is, Israelis and Palestinians go back to their homes tonight.
“It is very important, and in this particular issue, we need all to take it in a collective manner, and not to talk about just the Israeli hostages.
The Al-Shifa Hospital
Speaking on a bunker housing the Hamas Command Centre under the Al-Shifa hospital, the envoy debunked the claim by the Israeli military.
According to him, they had always known there was a bunker there before now, as the Israeli engineers developed the Al-Shifa hospital and built the bunker.
“After a very long incitement and propaganda against the hospital in Gaza and many days of storming, the Israeli Army came with zero real proof for their claims of it being used as a military base.
“Not only this, they came with fabricated evidence that didn’t convince even their people and sparked wide-spread criticism and mocking on the Israeli social media itself,” said Amb. Shawesh.
For weeks, Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip has been the focal point of the fight between Israel and the Palestinian militants.
Israeli officials said Hamas had been using the hospital to hide weapons and command centres.
The Palestinian Ambassador also explained that the Israeli soldiers escorted journalists to the Gaza’s largest hospital to show them a tunnel shaft they said was part of a vast underground network Hamas uses for military purposes.
However, Ambassador Shawesh debunked all the claims, calling for the constitution of an international independent enquiry council to investigate the claims.
He also expressed concern that the West and Israel were not ready to enforce the two-state solution to the niggling conflict between Palestine and Israel.
He added that Israel and the United States, in particular, were frustrating all efforts to implement the two-state solution as declared by the United Nations.
“They (the West and Israel) have the ability to make the two-state a reality, but they don’t want it. They are not ready for it.
“We did not get ready today; we have been ready yesterday, today and tomorrow.
“We don’t want to see more deaths from the two sides. We hope that all hostages can go back to their homes,” he said.
When asked if there can be peace, given the stand of Hamas and Israel, the envoy responded, “there cannot be peace as long as Israel has nuclear weapons. There cannot be peace as long as they continue to occupy us.”
The envoy, however, hoped that the new agreement would be another step forward towards solving all the problems between Hamas and Israel.
