2024-01-06 19:10:05
Disclosure/UNRWA
Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip
The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a note on Friday night (5) criticizing recent statements by Israeli authorities defending the emigration of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Itamaraty considered that this position violates international law and harms the possibility of peace. This is because two Israeli ministers defended, in recent days, the displacement of the Gaza population to other countries.
“The Brazilian government has taken note, with concern, of recent statements by Israeli government authorities who wish to promote the emigration of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip to other countries, as well as the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in that territory,” reported Itamaraty.
Also according to the Brazilian government, “by proposing measures that constitute violations of International Law, statements of this gravity deepen tensions and harm the prospects of achieving peace in the region”. International law prohibits the forced displacement of populations and the acquisition of territories through war.
On December 31, in an interview with Israeli radio, the country’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, defended the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza. According to him, “if there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not 2 million Arabs, the entire discussion the next day will be totally different.”
The Israeli minister added that, only in this way, Israel could “make the desert bloom, this does not happen at anyone’s expense”, according to Reuters news agency. This same position was defended by Israel’s Minister of Security, Itamar Bem-Gvir.
In addition to Brazil, the European Union, Arab countries, the United Nations (UN) and the United States (USA) criticized the Israeli minister’s statements. According to the US State Department, the speech would be “inflammatory and irresponsible”.
“We have been clear, consistent and unequivocal in stating that Gaza is Palestinian land and will continue to be Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer controlling its future and without terrorist groups capable of threatening Israel”, states the US government.
According to the UN Human Rights Office (Ocha), heavy bombing continues in Gaza, both in the south, north and center of the Palestinian enclave. It is estimated that 1.9 million people, or 85% of Gaza’s population, have abandoned their homes due to the war.
Furthermore, more than 1.1 million Palestinian children are at risk of dying from preventable diseases and lack of water and food in Gaza, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), this Friday (5). .
Since October 7, when current hostilities began in the Middle East, 22,700 Palestinians have been murdered, 70% of whom are women and children. Another 57,900 Palestinians are injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. On the Israeli side, 1,200 people died in the Hamas attack on October 7th. Another 173 Israeli soldiers would have died in the conflicts against Hamas in Gaza, in addition to 1,020 soldiers injured, according to the Israeli Army.
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