By Mustafa Deveci
ANTALYA, Türkiye (AA) – Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki praised Evidence, a book published by Anadolu that documents Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.
"I think this is a really heroic kind of action," as Anadolu has preserved and documented evidence of atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, al-Maliki told Anadolu on Saturday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Most of the time, Israel has been ignored for committing such crimes or refused to acknowledge them, al-Maliki said, adding that it is critical to document them, as the Evidence has done.
“It is really the evidence” against the war crimes, he added.
He recalled that the interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and warned Israel not to destroy any evidence.
Collecting strong and significant evidence would have an impact on accountability, al-Maliki said, adding: "We know that Israel has done its best to destroy such evidence, but having such pictures with us guarantees that Israel cannot destroy all of the evidence, especially when it comes to a picture."
He thanked Anadolu employees for putting their lives at risk “in order to collect such pictures.”
“These pictures are very useful during the ICJ hearings, and they will be very useful in the future. If not evidence, it will be a reminder,” he added.
- West still lives in Colonial era
Regarding Western countries' stance on events in Gaza, al-Maliki said these countries do not regard Palestinians as human beings, possibly because they do not value Palestinian lives.
Palestinians’ lives may be less important than those of others, he remarked.
The fact that Israel has tried to “dehumanize Palestinians since day one” in order to have a simple way to kill them, he said, adding that it appears that the West is still living in the era of colonialism, as evidenced by their behavior and actions.
Unfortunately, they are unable to rid themselves of their ugly past. As a result, “they judge us precisely from that angle (perspective)," he added.
Al-Maliki expressed sadness over considering Palestinians' killings, as well as the destruction of hospitals, shelters, schools, churches, and mosques as normal.
- Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza
He expressed hope for a cease-fire before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying it is critical.
It is important not only because Ramadan is a holy month, but also because the number of innocent Palestinians killed and injured is increasing by the day, he said, adding that if “we are serious about saving lives, we have to act quickly."
Regarding who will govern Gaza after the war, al-Maliki affirmed, “Us, the Palestinian Authority. That's for sure. No doubt about it.”
Al-Maliki also dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments about the future of governance in Gaza, saying, "Who cares about Netanyahu? Netanyahu is an occupier (and) has no political or legal weight to say so.”
He is saying it solely to undermine the discussion, but he has no political or legal weight, he added.
“His statement has no significance, and I ignored them... so please ignore them the way that I ignored them,” he said.
Anadolu published Evidence, which contains images of "Israeli crimes and violations" of international law and human rights in Gaza. The evidence gathered by Anadolu, now in the form of a book, was presented in a "genocide" case brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice.
Since Oct. 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the coastal enclave, leaving behind tens of thousands of casualties, mostly children and women, immense destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, leading Tel Aviv to face "genocide" charges before the top UN court.
At least 30,320 Palestinians have since been killed and 71,533 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.