The goal of the current Israeli operation in Gaza is to weaken Hamas and put it in a position where it will no longer want to attack Israel. This was stated by the Israeli Ambassador to the Czech Republic Daniel Meron. However, according to the Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Khalid al-Atrash, Israel has provoked the current fighting. He said the Jewish state had Palestinian blood on its hands, yet received support from the United States and many other countries.
“The goal is to get Hamas in a position where it no longer dares to attack us, when their weapons capabilities are exhausted or weakened, and when they understand that it is not worth it to repeat such an adventure,” Meron said. “We do not want to return to the situation we had here on May 8 or 9, they should feel it was a mistake and we are striving for it. Therefore, we are destroying their terrorist infrastructure, targeting their military facilities and commanders to ensure that they will be weakened and will not want to repeat this episode, “he added.
Over the weekend, Israel destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza, which housed the offices of the American news agency AP and Qatari television Al Jazeera, among others. The Israeli military said it focused on the building because it was used by the Hamas military intelligence wing. She warned civilians against the destruction of the building to allow them to evacuate in time.
Asked whether Israel would provide evidence that Hamas had actually used the building to the public, Meron replied, “I don’t know, but I repeat, we respect the media, we apologize for interfering in their work, but this was a military goal – the building, not their offices.” they have received prior warning that there is an imminent threat of attack. “
Palestinian Ambassador: Does not look at the cause of the conflict
“Palestinians face occupation for 53 years. The Palestinian leadership has reached a historic compromise on a two-state solution. The Palestinians have accepted a state on only 22 percent of historic Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. We are negotiating a peace process.” since 1993, and nothing has changed, “said al-Atrash.
“After Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed an agreement in 1993, an Israeli extremist assassinated Rabin to halt the peace process. This was because Israeli settlers were provoked by Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, who later became prime minister. Israeli itself is against peace, “the ambassador added, adding that Israel’s Human Rights Watch and Be-celem have called Israel’s apartheid practices against the Palestinians.
According to al-Atraš, the media focus only on the consequences of the conflict, but do not look at its cause. “The main problem is what Israeli forces and police are doing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Gaza has been under siege for 15 years, according to humanitarian organizations, and has become the largest open-air prison. This oppression and torture of people in the West Bank and Gaza Gaza and the Israeli government’s discriminatory practices against Palestinians who have remained in historic Palestine are illegal, “he said. He pointed to the eviction of Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem district of Sheikh Jarrah, to provocations by settlers and to police raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to al-Attras, Israel applies three legal systems, the first describes Jews as superiors, another applies to Palestinians within Israel and places them in the second category, and the third legal system applies to Palestinians living in the occupied territories. “Now the Palestinians are under fire, it has claimed more than 200 lives, hundreds of homes have been destroyed. In general, the violence is bad, but the aggression is much worse and the apartheid regime and occupation is the worst thing in the world,” the ambassador said.
Israeli Ambassador Meron called the events in the enclave “tragic”. “I think civilians in Gazeva are in a very difficult situation now, not because of Israel, but because of Hamas and the extreme fanatical leadership they have. We respect every human being, we respect Muslims, we respect Arabs and we want them to have a better future. Israel continues to provide humanitarian aid and allows it to flow into Gaza, we do not want to see any military operations, we do not want to see any conflict, but at this stage, when Israel must defend itself, it is inevitable, “Meron said.
“Israel left Gaza in 2005. I remember when (then Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon decided that there was talk within the government that we wanted Gaza to turn into Singapore in the Middle East. Less than two years in a brutal way Hamas has taken over the government, and since then the extreme organization has taken some two million people hostage, he said, adding that “it is crucial to strengthen moderate forces on the Palestinian side and hope for a better future.”
When the fighting ends is a question
Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in 2007 after winning elections in the Palestinian territories in 2006, but refused to renounce violence, which had a major impact on how it was perceived by the international community. He took power in the Gaza Strip after a fight with rival Fatah, which did not want to stay in the coalition with him. Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Israel has been backed in recent days by the United States and a number of European leaders, including Czech President Milos Zeman. “This support is crucial for Israel because it shows that we are on the right side. We are a country that defends itself against attacks. No state would tolerate if 3400 rockets were fired at its civilian population in nine days,” Meron said. On this occasion, he expressly thanked him for his Czech support. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Czech Republic, which excels in its support for Israel. This support was expressed by the hoisting of Israeli flags on many government buildings and town halls throughout the country.” We received a lot of public support and thanked the Czech people in 1948. in the war for independence, when Jews fighting for independence received Czechoslovak aid and are helping us now, and we were also very proud to be able to help the Czechs a few months ago with vaccines (against covid-19)… we are very close nations, “he concluded.
On the contrary, the Palestinian ambassador considers it important to demonstrate against Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in recent days in many countries around the world. He said that the new generation is also more aware of what the Palestinians have to face, thanks to social networks.
“We hope that the international community will strive for a ceasefire. But we hope that this will not be a mere pause, after which it will continue. We hope that there will be a solution. But a solution cannot be achieved unless Israel is treated as a normal state, instead of as a state that stands above the law. States that support Israel should reconsider, “he said.
– .
