RAMALLAH: Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that the international consensus on establishing the State of Palestine must be translated into practical steps that embody the state on the ground toward ending the occupation, and that the world must begin thinking about imposing sanctions on Israel for its continued aggression, colonialism, occupation, and for its rejection of peace.
The Prime Minister added, in his speech at the beginning of the weekly Palestinian cabinet meeting on Monday in Ramallah, that there is an important international movement around the two-state solution, and that the world should not pay attention to the position of Netanyahu and his government that rejects the two-state solution, and should work to end the occupation, recognize the State of Palestine bilaterally, and to vote for Palestine to be a member state of the United Nations.
He pointed out that the criminal Israeli killing policies is still claiming the lives of innocent civilians from Palestinian people in the Gaza Stri
p, adding that the aid very little and does not meet people’s needs, noting that diseases have begun to spread, and thousands of cases of hepatitis and other diseases have been recorded, under the cold weather while there are no suitable shelter.
Shtayyeh stated that water and electricity are still cut off, the work of communications networks is fluctuating, and the international press is still prevented from reaching the Gaza Strip, as well as the Palestinian press. The number of victims, including dead, wounded, missing persons, and detainees, has reached about 100,000, 70% of whom are children, women, and the elderly. 18 graves were exhumed in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, the Prime Minister said that Israel continues to kill Palestinian people, especially in the camps, and in all areas of the Palestinian territories, where the number of slain Palestinians since the beginning of last year has reached about 523, including 22 who were killed by gangs of colonialists.
He pointed out that during the agg
ression, Israeli colonists established 18 colonial outposts, at least 50,000 dunums of land were seized, 669 facilities were demolished, 1,323 demolition notices were delivered, 22,000 trees were uprooted, and there are 700 military checkpoints in the West Bank, as well, noting that there are 49 schools threatened with total or partial demolition, and more than 6,000 civilians have been detained.
The Prime Minister stressed that the situation in Gaza and the West Bank must stop, and the Israeli killing and aggression against Palestinian people must stop, and the sponsors of the Israeli killing must stop.
Regarding the financial situation, the Prime Minister said that the Israeli government approved yesterday the transfer of the portion of money that “we spend on the Gaza Strip to Norway, provided that this money is placed in a special account there, and stipulated that this money not be transferred to us,” noting that Norway decided to take this task as Chair of the International Aid Coordination Committee
for Palestine.
Shtayyeh expressed his appreciation for the international effort in this context, and said that “we wait until the final features of the presented formula become clear, and we salute the employees for their stance in support of their people in Gaza, and their patient, steadfast, patriotic and honorable stance in rejecting blackmail and piracy.”
He stressed that whatever the outcome of the consultations on the issue, there will be no solution at the expense of Palestinian commitment to the people in the Gaza Strip, who are in greater need of this assistance than ever before.
The PM said that “what governs our decision is essentially the national interest, and strengthening the steadfastness of our people on our land, and that all of this money is our right and it is ours.”
He praised the Palestinian workers for their steadfastness, especially those who were denied access to their workplaces, indicating that the cabinet will study some proposals related to them, and will also discuss the cata
strophic conditions in Gaza, and the crimes of the occupation in all Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
Shtayyeh renewed the demand to stop the aggression against Palestinian people, stop the killing and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank, their camps and towns, and stop the procedures against detainees in detention centers.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA