The Free Palestine Initiative welcomes the achievement of a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
We present their statement in its entirety.
“The truce brings a much-needed respite for almost two million Palestinians who for the past 15 months have been living the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel enabled by American and European weapons and political support every day.
We rejoice for every person who will experience mornings without fear of bombing, new losses and hunger.
We mourn for those killed today, yesterday and on each of the other 470 days of the genocide that we are horrified witnesses to. We sympathize with the survivors who will search for the missing with great pain, organize mass funerals for the murdered and clear the ruins.
We demand justice in the form of criminal responsibility of criminals and accomplices of crimes, reparations to victims, guarantees of non-repetition of genocide, suspension of Israeli and Zionist domination, occupation and colonization in Palestine and the Middle East.
All this must be accompanied by the complete reconstruction of Palestine under the supervision of the Palestinians, the revitalization of the health, educational and cultural systems and the provision of equal participation of Palestine in international relations.
The agreement presents an opportunity for displaced Palestinian civilians to return, although it remains unknown what they will return to due to the magnitude of the destruction in the Gaza Strip. This agreement represents an opportunity for at least partial establishment of key social systems, such as health and education, which were targeted and systematically destroyed during this period.
The agreement also presents the possibility of a more significant flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza – food, water, medical supplies and basic necessities of life – which the Israeli occupation forces have so far blocked at the crossings and thus increased the suffering of the Gazan population.
In addition, the agreement allows Palestinian civilians to go for medical treatment and the opening of the Rafah crossing seven days after it enters into force.
We also welcome the agreement regarding the exchange of Israeli hostages who spent 15 months in Gaza and Palestinian hostages, among them numerous children, who were taken en masse, unjustly imprisoned and tortured during the same period, as well as decades before this last seen phase of genocide. All of the above represents a minimal step towards justice.
In addition, the agreement foresees the withdrawal of the Israeli army first 700 meters towards the border of Gaza and Israel, and after the exchange of all hostages and its complete withdrawal.
However, we warn that this agreement does not solve the core of the problem – the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestine, apartheid and the systematic abuse of the Palestinian population. The Palestinians and the world need a lasting solution that will end the occupation and allow the people of Gaza and all of Palestine to live in freedom and dignity. The cease-fire is only the beginning of a long-term peace-building process, which also requires justice. Both in Gaza and in the West Bank, where the Israeli army bulldozes villages and towns every day and kills Palestinians under the auspices of a culture of impunity.
After 76 years of occupation and apartheid terror and 15 months of thoroughly documented genocide, we consider it necessary that those responsible for the crimes be brought to justice. Arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court continue to bind all States parties to the Rome Statute.
Those who, until the end of last week, enabled, supervised and carried out the genocide against the population of Gaza, must be held accountable for their crimes, and the international community, which today welcomes the achievement of a cease-fire, must be the guarantor of the permanent respect and execution of international justice by, in accordance with its obligations, without have no qualms about participating in the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, as the most serious international crimes committed against the Palestinian people.
Also, the international community, including the Republic of Croatia, even after this agreement enters into force, has a permanent responsibility regarding the issue of Palestine until it is resolved in all its aspects in accordance with international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations, as well as advisory opinions and decisions of the International Court of Justice, and especially in relation to the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including their right to an independent and sovereign state.
Finally, we warn that the State of Israel has a history of violating ceasefire agreements. Very recent examples such as Lebanon, where more than a hundred Israeli attacks have been recorded since the conclusion of the truce, clearly show the necessity of constant monitoring and holding Israeli officials and authorities accountable.
Also, there remains a threat to the work of the UN agency UNRWA, which Israel has legally prohibited from operating on the territory of Israel. The UN is already warning that the 600 trucks a day, as much as the agreement foresees, is logistically difficult to carry out even if all the crossings are opened immediately. In addition, we add with anger and resentment, immediately after the announcement of the cease-fire on January 15, Israel killed at least 82 people in Gaza.
The killings continued until yesterday, when the ceasefire was delayed for several hours – during which at least 19 Palestinians were killed.
We emphasize that the genocide did not stop with the beginning of the ceasefire yesterday. Destroyed homes and hospitals, agricultural fields and drinking water are the result of the genocidal campaign and genocidal operations of the State of Israel. Every life lost in the days after the start of the ceasefire due to lack of shelter, food, water and health care is a victim of genocide.
Instead of the smugness of Western leaders and governments who, in their congratulations on the ceasefire, forget to refer to the fact that for more than a year they did not exert significant pressure on the State of Israel for an earlier cessation of violence, but instead financially and militarily supported the genocide, we call for the continuation of the joint struggle for peace and the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The temporary cessation of violence brings hope, but it is not enough,” they said.
(Vijesti.ba)
