12/06/2024
Statement of MP Anna Tarhata S. Basman on the adoption of the UN Gaza ceasefire resolution and on continuing efforts for peace, justice, and accountability in Palestine
Finally, after eight months of failure to act, the UN Security Council, the highest decision-making body of the UN, has approved a binding resolution urging Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire plan. Hamas has accepted the resolution, and it is now up to Israel to fulfill what its allies claim it desires: a resolution to this conflict and the release of their hostages.
But this development comes in the wake of an operation where over 270 Gazans were killed to save four Israeli captives, a so-called success that starkly illustrates the dehumanization and devaluation of Palestinian lives. Reports indicate that Israeli operatives exploited humanitarian aid deliveries, hiding behind the pretense of humanitarian trucks delivering aid, as a cover for their bloody operation, revealing the true colors of Israel and its IDF—an army devoid of any regard for international humanitarian law and a troubling lack of humanity in its military strategies.
While we welcome this resolution and call for its acceptance, it is clear: we must continue to sustain and support all efforts to bring peace and justice to Palestine. On one front, legal actions against Israel continue to progress in a positive direction. The case initiated by South Africa at the International Court of Justice has gained significant support from countries that have joined or declared their intention to join the case, such as Nicaragua, Belgium, Colombia, Turkey, Libya, Egypt, Maldives, Mexico, Ireland, Chile, Palestine, and Spain, with many more countries welcoming the case. The application for issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gallant also marks a historic development. The world is waking up and standing up against a country that has dealt us mass graves, proven beheading of babies, the relentless bombing of mere tents in places where civilians were told to move for safety, the destruction of educational, medical, and all other essential humanitarian infrastructure, and attempts to erase any cultural and religious life in Gaza. This global awakening is long overdue—and with it, we must continue using all our voices to make world leaders heed our collective clamor for peace and justice.
Across the globe, from students and doctors to ordinary citizens, people have also been taking to the streets to reject the erosion of the rules-based world order and the impunity granted to a state that is on a genocidal rampage. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has shown its effectiveness—and it must continue until the genocide stops. Every cent not spent on companies that support apartheid is a step towards justice, translating into real financial consequences for those funding this genocide.
The past few months have shown us: in the face of such horror, we are not powerless. Now more than ever, we must recognize, cultivate, and use this power. As all efforts towards peace and justice continue, let us stay on the side of the Palestinian people—let us stay on the right side of history.
