Nairobi — The Palestinian Embassy in Nairobi has expressed frustration with the international community for what it perceives as a lack of response to the suffering of the Palestinian people when Israel committed similar acts to those carried out by Hamas terrorists during their unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday.
The attack resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with over 600 individuals killed and thousands injured as fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas continued into the second day.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Palestine emphasized that Hamas's attack on Israel was a response to years of suffering endured by the Palestinian people at the hands of Israeli forces.
It argued that Israel had continued to violate the rights of Palestinians while the international community remained silent.
"Every innocent life that was lost and every drop of blood shed as a result of prolonging this despicable occupation is regrettable and proof that the double standards that have tainted international affairs, especially with regard to the Palestinian cause, cannot bring about peace or security to anyone," the Embassy stated, a day after Israeli Ambassador to Kenya Michael Lotem reiterated Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's resolve of a full-scale war against Hamas.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Embassy in Nairobi explained that Israel was responsible for the escalation due to what it described as "its undeterred criminal provocations over many months." It alleged that since the beginning of the year, Israeli military forces and militias were directly responsible for killing dozens of innocent civilians, including many children.
"Israel has also been targeting the Palestinian people on a daily basis by destroying properties, livelihoods, and an already fragile infrastructure through its military invasions of our cities and villages," the embassy added, emphasizing that Palestinians equally have the right to defend themselves.
The embassy accused Israeli government officials of repeatedly making statements that encourage provocations against Muslim and Christian religious sites, despite condemnations from the international community and Israel's long-standing allies.
Palestine further argued that the "selective reference to International Law and International Humanitarian law in favor of Israel" violates "every relevant United Nations Security Council Resolution."
It described decades of what it considered Israel's occupation of Palestine as shameful, ignoring the legal and moral responsibilities of Israel since its establishment and throughout over six decades of occupying the internationally defined Palestinian Territory.
The embassy added that the failure of the international community to compel Israel to comply with UN Security Resolutions had allowed the "illegal and immoral occupation to develop into an Apartheid regime."
"Failure to recognize these unfortunate developments that have been witnessed since yesterday as a direct result of violations committed by the occupation regime will only encourage Israel to subject our people to more brutality, collective punishment, and deprivation of our internationally recognized right to self-determination and independence," said the Palestinian Embassy in Nairobi.
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The Palestinian Embassy also argued that undermining accountability under international law and the absence of a serious, results-oriented international intervention to resolve the roots of the conflict jeopardize the prospects for achieving peace between the two states.
Following the attack, Israel initiated "Operation Iron Swords" to liberate areas that had been overrun by Hamas fighters and to track the militants who had infiltrated parts of Israel after overwhelming its border defenses.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed a strong retaliation against the attack on Saturday. Subsequent Israeli bombardments have destroyed several parts of Gaza, including infrastructure linked to Hamas, even as the organization pledged to continue the fight.
