ADDIS ABABA: At the African Union Summit convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian capital, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Saturday urged the assembly to exert pressure to stop the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip and to cease Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In his address, Shtayyeh emphasized the imperative for Africa’s voice to advocate for the freedom of Palestine and the right of its populace to self-determination. He urged for the tangible realization and recognition of Palestine as a member state within the United Nations framework.
Shtayyeh decried Israel’s actions as emblematic of an apartheid state, characterized by systemic racial discrimination both in legislation and practice. He lamented the continuation of violence as a means to bolster Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political position, asserting that such aggression must be halted.
Palestinian Prime Minister Calls for Boycott of Israel
Furthermore, the Palestinian Prime Minister urged for international solidarity in boycotting settlement products and institutions, commending nations that have taken steps to classify certain settlers as “terrorists.”
The backdrop of Shtayyeh’s impassioned plea is the relentless assault on Gaza since October 7, following an attack by a Palestinian resistance group Hamas. The subsequent Israeli offensive has inflicted a devastating toll, killing at least 28,858 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injuring over 68,677 others, and precipitating widespread destruction and scarcities of essential supplies.
Contrastingly, casualties on the Israeli side remain markedly lower, with fewer than 1,200 reported deaths in connection to the initial Palestinian assault.
Israel’s conduct has been met with allegations of genocide, prompting legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice. In a recent interim ruling in January, Tel Aviv was instructed to cease genocidal activities and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
