Palestine appreciates Zim’s voice

Vladimir Dube

PALESTINE appreciates Zimbabwe’s solidarity, especially as Israel continues its siege on the Gaza Strip, which has led to the death of more than 16 000 Palestinians, a diplomat has said.

Addressing multitudes of people who marched to the United States Embassy in the capital yesterday to protest against the alleged genocide being committed by Israel, Palestine’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri said the Zimbabwean voice is being “well heard in Palestine”.

“I want to thank you all for your attendance today to pay your solidarity with the Palestinian people,” he said.

“The Zimbabwean voice is very well heard in Palestine, and your brothers and sisters in Palestine are actually not fighting only for themselves but also for all the oppressed people in the world.”

Israel, he said, is continuing its aggression against Palestine despite the fact that most of the victims are children and civilians.

“We have until now 16 000 martyrs; most of them are children and women who are innocent and defenceless. 6 500 people are also missing under the rubble, but we cannot reach their bodies to bury them.”

Ambassador Almassri accused Israel of inhumane acts against the people of Palestine.

“The Israeli apartheid regime, after they cut the electricity, food, water, fuel and closed borders, have turned the Gaza Strip into a prison. Nothing can be more evil. They are not even respecting the dead. Last week, we had incidents whereby the Israeli army stole body parts like hearts and kidneys.”

International Socialist Organisation leader Mr Munyaradzi Gwisai castigated the United States’ government for supporting Israel.

“Two weeks ago, we marched to the United Nations’ offices, as well as the British and European Union embassies. But we would never have finished our work because the principal chief financer, the principal supporter, the principal backer of the genocide of the Israeli regime is just here, America. That is why we needed to protest at their embassy,” he said.

“The Americans give Israel US$3,8 billion every year to commit genocide in Palestine. Today, we are saying that we do not want a truce of three days, we do not want a truce of four days, we want a permanent ceasefire now.

“We must have a free and independent Palestinian state. So that is what we are demanding.”

Israel has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the October 7 raid by Hamas fighters, who killed about 1 200 Israelis and captured 200 others.

On November 24, the warring parties agreed to a truce to facilitate an exchange of prisoners.

The war resumed on Friday.