CA urges collective actions to end Israeli brutalities in Gaza

Reiterating Bangladesh's steadfast stance on a two-state solution to the Palestine crisis, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today (19 December) called for decisive and collective actions to end the brutalities unleashed by the Israeli forces in Gaza.

"We call upon all actors and stakeholders, indeed beyond the region, to take decisive and collective actions to end the brutalities unleashed by the Israeli forces," he told a special session during the D-8 Summit in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

The special session was held on 'the Humanitarian Crisis and Reconstruction Challenges in Gaza and Lebanon', according to a message received here.

In his speech, Yunus said they gathered at a time when Israeli aggression and the 14-month-long brutal genocide against the Palestinian people continue unabated in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

"Words should suffice little," he said, adding, "To say the least, we are in utter dismay at Israel's blatant disregard for long-held international norms, laws and conventions."

The chief adviser said the ways the hostilities in Lebanon are spreading, there are heightened fears of further escalation and this can lead to dire and long-term consequences for peace and stability across the region, impacting global society and polity, not just economy.

"From Cairo, we must voice our unity and unwavering commitment, in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, at this existential time in their history," he added.

Prof Yunus said throughout the history of Bangladesh, it has stood firmly in support of the Palestinian cause.

"We consistently condemned the illegal occupation and the violent repression carried out by Israel. We remain steadfast in advocating a just and lasting solution, through a two-State solution to the crisis, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and harmony," he said.

The 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate said Palestine has to emerge as a fully independent and viable state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"This is what we also articulated in detail before the International Court of Justice this February as the Court finally called Israel's occupation illegal, in its Advisory Opinion," he said.

Both this year's Advisory Opinion as well as the one of 2004, on the Wall, provide important legal basis in their collective pronouncements, he added.

The chief adviser said Bangladeshis are profoundly concerned over the current state of affairs.

"Palestinians are no expendable people. Every Palestinian life matters," he added.

He said it is not an issue that merely concerns the Muslims rather it is a universal cause where human dignity is tested.

"It is about universal pledge to protect the vulnerable. It is indeed our moral duty to stand by them, resolutely," he said.

Prof Yunus said there are around six million Bangladeshi migrant workers and expatriate professionals, across the region, including in Lebanon who have been making significant contributions to the development of the countries across the Middle East.

Their safety and security are at risk, he said.

He said the massacres in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, are clear violations of international law, and constitute war crimes.

"Those responsible must account. That is why, last November, Bangladesh stood up at the International Criminal Court asking for expeditious investigations, into the heinous crimes against humanity," the chief adviser said.

Such actions on accountability can deter the perpetrators against further and future atrocities, he said and called for intensifying efforts on realisation of a viable two-state solution.

Beyond humanitarian interventions, the Nobel Peace Laureate said, it is time to prioritise thinking of reconstruction of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

He mentioned that the United Nations has cautioned that removing the 40 million tonnes of rubble, left in the wake of Israel's bombardment, could take at least 15 years.

"We understand that the rubble may contain over 10,000 bodies of the deceased. And this is also contaminated with asbestos," the chief adviser said.

He urged the D-8 to kick start a process, with an approximate estimation of the costs of reconstruction in Palestine and Lebanon.

"We can thereon press on formulation of international strategies for resource mobilisation," he said.

Yunus commended the Government of Egypt for convening this Special Session on the Humanitarian Crisis and Reconstruction Challenges in Gaza and Lebanon during the D-8 summit.

Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, among others, joined the session