Palestinian foreign minister warns of ‘continuation of genocide’ in Gaza if cease-fire not reached

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Friday warned of the “continuation of genocide” in the Gaza Strip if a cease-fire agreement is not reached within the next two-three weeks.

“If we are not able in the next two to three weeks to reach a cease-fire then it means we will see another round of hostilities, attack against Rafah, another massacre, and continuation of genocide,” al-Maliki said on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

“(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu wants to drive people completely out of Gaza, and not only to leave Gaza uninhabitable,” he added.

Regarding the Israeli policies in the West Bank, al-Maliki said: “Israel … has a long-term interest not only to stay in the West Bank but also to displace people to pick them out of the West Bank into Jordan and to also annex the Palestinian territory.”

“That is why we see everyday confiscation of Palestinian land in the West Bank, construction of illegal settlements, destruction of Palestinian homes, attacks by settlers, rampaging everywhere,” the minister said.

“While everybody is focusing on the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, we should always remember that the real objective of Israel is the West Bank, the so-called Judea and Samaria Area,” he added.