Africa-Press – Namibia. Namibia on Friday strongly demonstrated its unwavering commitment towards the self-determination and sovereignty of Palestinians, when it formed part of 142 countries that overwhelmingly voted in favour of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine decades-old brutal conflict.
Friday’s vote endorsed a declaration outlining tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of this week’s meeting of world leaders at the UN.
10 countries, including Israel and its key ally, the United States, voted against a two-state solution to the nearly 80-year conflict. A total of 12 nations abstained from voting.
The declaration is the result of an international conference at the UN that was hosted by Saudi Arabia and France in July.
Presented by France and Saudi Arabia, the endorsement calls for “collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution”.
It also orders the Palestinian group Hamas, which runs the government in Gaza, to free all hostages, stipulating that it must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.
The UN’s ringing endorsement of the two-state solution came amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza, and one day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off a settlement expansion plan in the occupied West Bank that would make any future Palestinian state virtually impossible.
As Namibia and others voted on Friday to advance the two-state solution, people in the Gaza Strip continued to endure heavy artillery fire and bombing from Israeli forces, with Friday’s death toll hitting 59 just after the results were announced.
The vote precedes an upcoming UN summit co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris on September 22 in New York, where another 10, including France, Norway, Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, are all formally expected to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state.
Palestine, officially recognised by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states, encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, which are collectively known as the occupied Palestinian territories.
Firm support
Last week, Namibia joined global condemnation of Israel’s attack in the Qatari capital Doha, which targeted Hamas leaders who had gathered in the city to discuss an American-backed ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip.
The Namibian government, through the ministry of international relations, issued a statement expressing deep concern over Israel’s latest barbaric actions, which it views as a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.
Israel’s brazen strike on Doha, the metropolis of the influential Gulf state that has played a key role in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, was condemned by Namibia as an escalation that threatens to derail peace efforts.
“It is [latest bombings] in contravention of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and in breach of established norms of international law. The State of Qatar has made sustained and commendable efforts to facilitate negotiations between the concerned parties. It is, therefore, deeply regrettable that these diplomatic efforts have been met with actions that undermine its sovereignty and mediation role,” said the Namibian government.
Last week’s attack on Qatar raised fears there would be no immediate truce to avert Israel’s threatened ground assault on the famine-stricken Gaza City, where it has ordered residents to immediately leave the area and started bombing high-rise buildings it says were occupied by Hamas.
Namibia further underscored the importance of safeguarding established norms of international law and territorial integrity and called for the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
Such a resolution can only be achieved through genuine negotiations that address the legitimate concerns of all parties and uphold the principles of justice, equality, and mutual respect,” Namibia buttressed its position.
Genocidal acts
According to the latest international reports, at least 64 522 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, as six more people died of starvation in the enclave last Monday.
More than 67 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 320 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 163 096 in the Israeli onslaught.
Also in the last 24 hours, reports have also brought to the fore that 14 Palestinians were killed and more than 85 others injured by Israeli army fire while trying to access humanitarian aid, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking food aid to 2 430, with more than 17 794 others wounded since May.
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