Day: 1 April 2024

RAMALLAH: The government of Sri Lanka announced today a donation of $1 million for the benefit of assisting the affected Palestinian children in Gaza.

The donation was transferred through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Despite the challenging economic situation facing Sri Lanka, this donation is considered an initial step against plans aiming to liquidate the UN relief agency (UNRWA), which serves more than five million Palestinian refugees.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

ANTALYA: The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) an annual conference on international diplomacy held in Antalya, Turkey since 2021, said that the images coming out of the al-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip are proof of Israel’s attempt to deliberately and systematically destroy the Palestinian people.

‘The crimes committed by the Israeli authorities over the past six months are among the greatest barbarities in human history,’ said the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

‘Those who have committed these crimes will be brought to justice, and the names of those who have condoned these crimes will be a black stain on the pages of history,’ added ADF in a statement.

Israel violates human conscience and the law, and harms international peace and stability, said the Forum, stressing that: ‘The international community has an obligation to stop Israel.’

The necessary action should be taken without delay to ensure the implementation of the latest UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and the additional me
asures announced by the International Court of Justice, ADF concluded.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

BEIJING: The spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, congratulated the new Palestinian government led by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa on taking oath and called for providing international support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to enhance its governance.

The spokesperson also called, during a regular press conference, for international support to all political factions in Palestine to help achieve internal reconciliation through consultation and dialogue and to enable the new Palestinian government to fulfill its duty.

‘China will continue working with the international community to promote a ceasefire, protect civilians and contribute to de-escalating the current tensions and bringing the Palestinian question back to the right track of the two-state solution,’ he said.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

RAMALAH: President Mahmoud Abbas Monday evening received a congratulatory phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

During the phone call, Blinken congratulated President Abbas on forming the new government, headed by longtime presidential economic adviser Mohammed Mustafa, and they discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, including efforts aimed at halting the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

President Abbas stressed the need to halt immediately the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, and the importance of expediting the entry of medical and food supplies and supplying water, electricity and fuel to the whole of the Gaza Strip, including the northern Strip.

He called upon Blinken to prevent Israel from launching any military operation in Rafah and warned of the possible repercussions of such an operation, particularly affecting innocent civilians.

He reaffirmed his rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians whether in the Gaza Strip or t
he West Bank, including Jerusalem while reiterating that the Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine and that the occupation authorities’ schemes intended to separate the Strip, which falls under the scope of the State of Palestine’s responsibility and management, or appropriate a part of its territory are unacceptable and would not be dealt with.

He also stressed the need for the US side to intervene to halt not only the forced displacement of Palestinians at the hands of the occupation authorities in the West Bank, particularly in the Jordan Valley, but also terrorist setter assaults, and to put further pressure on Israel to release the withheld Palestinian tax revenues, open all checkpoints in the West Bank and enable the State of Palestine to exercise control over its international crossings.

On his part, US Secretary of State Blinken affirmed that the US was looking forward to working with the new Palestinian government to boost bilateral relations, and would exert pressure to ensure the pr
otection of civilians in the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid to the Strip.

He also affirmed that his country, in cooperation with Palestinian and Arab parties, would continue to work to find a political solution conducive to the establishment of the Palestinian state.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA