Israel says there is no letting up on its war in Gaza until militant group, Hamas releases the 125 Israeli hostages abducted on October 7th and lays down its arms.
The country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, emphasised this in Abuja at Israel’s 76th Independence Day Celebration in the Nigerian capital.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group, Hamas led surprise attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals (including at least 35 U.S. citizens in Israel) were killed, and several others taken hostage.
Since then, there’s been war between Israel and Hamas with Palestinians civilians, women and children caught in the thick of the fighting.
More than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to available statistics.
Israel says the civilian casualty figure is that high because Hamas uses its people as human shields. This has led to global condemnation for both sides, with more countries aligning with calls for a two State solution.
The Israeli Ambassador says no political solution will work in resolving the long face off between Isreal and Palestine, in the face of Hamas terror threats.
The Israeli envoy also informed the gathering of the plans that his country has for Nigeria in the coming months.
The event was attended by an array of top Nigerian government functionaries, members of the diplomatic community and top clergymen, including the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus, John Cardinal Onaiyekan who shared an opinion on how to end the conflict in the middle east.
Onaiyekan said other nations, especially Nigeria should learn from Israel’s 76 year journey and how the people have remained united despite their diversity and varying degrees of instability.
The Israeli Independence Day celebration was tagged; ‘Israel Heroism – A Recognition of the Resilience of the People Over the Last 76 years’.
