According to the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to prolong the war on Gaza for his “personal career and personal future.”
The Minister made these remarks during a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos in Nicosia.
He paid a working visit to Cyprus on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. His visit was dominated by the situation in Gaza.
Al-Maliki asserted that it is very clear that Netanyahu does not care about the destiny, the lives, of innocent people both in Israel and in Palestine, the Israeli hostages and the Palestinian innocent people in Gaza.
“This is something we should deplore and we should really stand against,” he added.
“It is our collective responsibility to prevent further escalation [and] prolongation of the war, to open other fronts, either in the West Bank or in south Lebanon.”
Riyad al-Maliki
Speaking in Nicosia, Kombos pointed out that the situation in Gaza is not only worsening, but a transformative series of events is unfolding that has regional and international implications.
“It is understandable that our discussions were dominated by the developments in the Middle East,” Kombos said.
“We agree that the unfolding situation in our region deteriorates daily, and that we are experiencing not just another chapter of the long-standing conflict. Instead, we are witnessing a transformative series of events that have regional but also global implications.”
Constantinos Kombos
Kombos then outlined four points in order to clarify what comprises the approach of the Republic of Cyprus.
Firstly, he said that all civilians, non-combatants, and civilian infrastructures must be ‘fully protected and respected in line with international law, including international humanitarian law.’
Secondly, He said that Cyprus has consistently said that the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages is instrumental to ending this conflict.
“We hope that the intensive negotiations towards this end will soon be successful,” Kombos stated.
He made his third point, saying, “We are deeply concerned by the spread of the conflict to other areas, which could lead to a regional spillover with unprecedented consequences.”
Fourthly, Kombos said that the only sustained way forward is the revival of the Middle East Peace Process and the reemergence of the political horizon, on the basis of the two-state solution, in line with the UN Security Council resolutions.
For his part, Al-Maliki emphasized that the magnitude of the disaster that has occurred in Gaza is unprecedented.
He stated that, from his contacts in Cyprus, he has felt that there is a feeling of collective responsibility for humanitarian aid and the Republic of Cyprus is doing everything it can to this end.
At the same time, he said, efforts are being made to prevent a ground attack on Rafah.
Earlier, Maliki was received by President Christodoulidis, he also had a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament, Annita Dimitriou.
Palestine Prepares Report On Israel’s Violations
Separately, Omar Awadallah, the Palestinian Authority’s Assistant Foreign Minister, said that the State of Palestine has prepared a report on Israel’s violations of the International Court of Justice’s orders for preventing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Last month’s ICJ ruling ordered six provisional measures to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to genocide by Israel, and for the Israeli government take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
Speaking at a news conference in Ramallah, Awadallah disclosed that the Palestinian Authority formed a legal team following a decision by President Mahmoud Abbas.
The team will present its case in the next ICJ hearings, from February 19 to 26, 2024, together with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
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