Palestine Says 'Declaration Of War' By Israel A Continuation Of 'Criminality And Impunity'

Palestine has called the war declaration by Israel a continuation of its "criminality and impunity" and called on the international community to intervene and end the "barbarous campaign of death".

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza.

The Israel-Hamas war continues to rage for the third day after Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched a counter-offensive operation 'Iron Swords' following a rocket barrage attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The intense clashes have so far killed over 1,000 people. The casualties include civilians, defence personnel and foreign nationals as well. Israel has declared "war" on Gaza, vowing to turn "all Hamas hiding places into rubble". Now, Palestine has called Israel's declaration a continuation of its decades of "criminality and impunity" in Gaza.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called the scenes of the devastation being "inflicted on Palestinian civilians in Gaza" harrowing and said the international impunity Israel "enjoys" is moral, political, and legal stain affront to humanity. It said that Palestine is in the current situation because the world couldn't do what was needed and turned back on Palestinian rights.

"The declaration of war by #Israel, the occupying Power, on a civilian population it has been illegally and forcibly occupying and oppressing for decades is a continuation of its record of criminality and impunity. This is reinforced and affirmed by Israeli officials who have issued genocidal and hateful calls for ethnic cleansing publicly and unashamedly," it said.

"We are in this situation because the world failed to do what is needed and turned its back on Palestinian rights. Simplistic statements that omit Palestinian lives and rights and encourage their violation have to stop. As an occupying Power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenseless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine.," the statement said.

"As an occupying Power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenseless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine.  Reprisals against civilians in armed hostilities are illegal under international humanitarian law and must stop," Palestine said in the post.

The ministry further said, "The scenes of devastation inflicted on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are harrowing. The international impunity Israel enjoys is a moral, political, and legal stain affront to humanity and basic decency as well as the principles of international law. Any attempt to excuse or cover these crimes is unacceptable and outright reprehensible."  

In view of the open war declared by Israel on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the critical and ever-worsening situation of the Palestinian people under Israel's colonial occupation and apartheid regime in the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East…

— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) October 8, 2023

Holding Israel responsible for the developments, Palestine said that the rival nation "insists on keeping the Palestinian people captive and stripping them of their rights for over half a century." Palestine said that armed actions taken by Israel are illegal under international humanitarian law and must stop.

"The facts are not in dispute. Israel, as an occupying Power, is fully responsible for this situation because it insists on keeping the Palestinian people captive and stripping them of their rights for over half a century. Israel has illegally used force and the threat of force, confiscation of land, persecution, collective punishment, and reprisals to deny the Palestinian people their fundamental rights and serve the common aim of displacing and replacing the Palestinian people, in violation of their right to self-determination and other peremptory norms of international law," the statement on X read.

Palestine called on the international community to intervene and provide protection to the Palestinian people and said that this must happen in view of the open war declared by Israel on the "Palestinian people in Gaza and the critical and ever-worsening situation of the Palestinian people under Israel's colonial occupation and apartheid regime in the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem".

Palestine said that the international community must end Israel’s barbarous campaign of death and destruction.

"The international community must also act on their collective political, legal, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities towards this prolonged injustice. It has a responsibility to promote accountability, which is the only viable remedy for this illegal, abhorrent situation. 
The Palestinian people will continue to defend themselves, their homes, and their fundamental right to live in freedom and dignity, free from occupation, apartheid, and persecution," the Palestinian foreign ministry said.

Palestine Condemns Bombardment On School Housing Refugees

In a fresh post on X on Monday, Palestine also condemned the bomb bombardment on a school being used as a UN refugee shelter for Palestinian civilians. It said that the school accommodated children, women, the elderly, and sick people, adding that it is a "crime"

"UNRWA: The #displacement of 74,000 Palestinians to our schools in #Gaza and the severe damage to a UNRWA school in Gaza that shelters displaced families after being directly targeted," the post read referring to UNRWA statement on the same.

UNRWA: The #displacement of 74,000 Palestinians to our schools in #Gaza and the severe damage to an UNRWA school in Gaza that shelters displaced families after being directly targeted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemns the brutal bombardment that targeted… pic.twitter.com/DrZKdyIZGF

— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) October 9, 2023

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemns the brutal bombardment that targeted an #UNRWA school housing hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children, women, the elderly, and  sick people. It considers it a crime , especially since this bombing targeted a United Nations school," it added.