Palestinian envoy says occupation 'will end'

By Dilara Hamit

Palestinian ambassador to Türkiye on Wednesday saluted the "martyrs, prisoners and wounded people" of his country, stating that their only goal is to end the occupation and achieve freedom and independence.

Ambassador Faed Mustafa, during his speech at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People reception at the Turkish capital, said, "Once again, I affirm: this occupation will end, and the Palestinian right will prevail, sooner or later."

"For more than fifty days, we have been calling on the international community to intervene to stop the massacres, slaughters and systematic destruction carried out by Israel, that likes of which the world has not witnessed for many decades. But the international community has failed our people once again. Unfortunately, some of its parties even openly supported the killers," he said.

The ambassador has also emphasized "the international crimes Israeli occupying forces have committed," saying that they include war crimes and crimes against humanity. Mustafa added that the Israeli side has launched "a barbaric aggression, a despicable war of vengeance, and crimes of genocide."

"They are targeting innocent people. The victims of this Israeli aggression have reached more than 60,000 Palestinians killed and injured, thus far, 70% of whom are children, women and elderly persons, in addition to thousands of victims who remain under the rubble," he added.

Abdulhameed Hamza, Arab League Türkiye Representative Ambassador, said the suffering of Palestinian people has been passed down from generation to generation for 106 years.

"History will add to its records that the year 2023 is the year when the oppressed in Palestine stood courageously against colonial fascism, shouting in defense of their rights, homes, humanity, and lives" he said.

"For more than fifty days, we have been calling on the international community to intervene to stop the massacres, slaughter, and systematic destruction carried out by Israel. The world has not witnessed such atrocities in decades. However, the international community has once again failed our people. Some of its factions openly supported the killers under the pretext of Israel's right to self-defense. This is the big lie for Israel and its supporters. This occupying entity is the one occupying the land of the Palestinian people. Therefore, it cannot be in a state of self-defense but is always in an offensive position," he added.

In his speech, ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Ahmed Hassan quoted Secretary General of UN Antonio Guterres.

"I'm horrified by the deaths and destruction that has engulfed the region, which is overwhelmed with pain, anguish, and heartache. Palestinians in Gaza are suffering a humanitarian catastrophe; almost 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes, but nobody was saved. This, meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank included this in Jerusalem, risks going over," he said.

"I express my sincere condolences to the thousands of families who are mourning the loss of loved ones. This includes members of our own United Nations family in Gaza, representing the largest loss of personnel in the history of our organization. I have been cleared in my condemnation of the terror attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7. But I have also been clear that they cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he said.

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu also stated that achieving a just solution to the Palestinian issue is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability worldwide.

He emphasized, "The establishment of an independent, sovereign, and geographically unified Palestinian State with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders, is the only way to achieve sustainable and fair peace."

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed more than 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.
The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.