For Hala Abou Hassira, this ceasefire would be “the first step to save lives and bring relief” to the inhabitants of Gaza.
“There is a crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip,” denounces Hala Abou Hassira, Palestinian ambassador to France, invited Friday November 3 on franceinfo. The Israeli army claims to have surrounded Gaza City on the night of Thursday November 2 to Friday November 3.
Hala Abou Hassira calls on France to regain its “singular way” For “demand an immediate ceasefire” in order to “save lives and provide relief” to civilian populations in Gaza. Humanitarian aid is absolutely not sufficient according to her, because it is intended “only for the south”while “the north of the Gaza Strip is destroyed and deprived of any life-sustaining essence”.
It is “time to act” for the “32,000 injured” of Gaza, for the ambassador who also recalls the “9,061 dead, more than 3,600 children dead, 2,300 women murdered”Hamas figures, credible according to her: “I would have liked these figures to be very exaggerated. But that’s the reality.”
On the issue of hostages, there must be a release “on both sides” for the Palestinian ambassador to France, she calls for the release of “9,000 detainees” Palestinians in Israel in exchange for Hamas hostages.
Franceinfo: What is the absolute priority in the conflict currently?
Hala Abou Hassira: The important thing today, in this very serious moment, is an immediate ceasefire, which must be requested by France, all the European powers and by the EUnited States, which gave Israel the green light to carry out the ongoing genocide. Today there is a crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip. I quote a director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who spoke of a “atypical case of genocide”. The entire Gazan population is attacked, massacred and forcibly transferred. The first step to saving lives and providing relief is an immediate ceasefire.
So you are calling on the international community and France to demand a ceasefire, to become more involved, do you think that could change anything?
Of course, I invite France to rediscover its unique voice, based on law. Any discussion of the two-state solution must begin with an immediate ceasefire, with stopping this genocide, with stopping this aggression. It is not possible to give a piece of bread with one hand and kill with the other. Today, to take a political perspective, France must react responsibly, as a permanent member of the Security Council, and begin to truly work according to the law, to put an end to this genocide, and then to put a end the Israeli occupation and apartheid of the entire occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army announces that it has surrounded the Gaza Strip, what do you expect in the coming days?
I expect genocide in every sense of the word. Today, the entire civilian population is taken hostage in the Gaza Strip and Gaza City.
Is the humanitarian aid that has been delivered sufficient, in your opinion?
How many trucks entered the Gaza Strip? How many food trucks? How many water trucks were able to pass? And this is only for the southern part, it does not at all meet the minimum of what the population needs for its survival. The north of the Gaza Strip is wiped out and deprived of any life-sustaining fuel. Hospitals are at a standstill. Gaza’s central hospital now only operates with one generator, even though it houses 60,000 displaced people and 6,000 injured people.
14 of 36 hospitals are no longer operational, according to the WHO. Today, if we are injured in Gaza, what happens?
The injured are not treated. We all saw injured people lying in hospital corridors. This brings us into an unprecedented humanitarian drama. And that’s why now is the time to act. The numbers of injured are increasing: 32,000 injured with 9,061 dead, more than 3,600 children dead, 2,300 women murdered.
For the Palestinian Authority, are these Hamas figures credible?
It is no joy to say such figures. I would have liked these figures to be much exaggerated. But that’s the reality.
Are you calling for the release of the hostages?
We are very clear: we must release all the hostages, Palestinian and Israeli. You should know that there are more than 9,000 Palestinian hostages, Palestinian political detainees. There are thousands of administrative detainees, without charge, without trial. All civilian hostages must be released, on both sides. We must not release one side and not the other. This is a clear position. All life is equal to each other, we must stop the policy of double standards.
Do you think Hamas’s proposal to exchange prisoners for hostages is a good proposal?
That would be a positive step.
Do you fear a second front opened by Hezbollah? Are you calling on Hezbollah to moderate?
We fear any instability and explosion in the region. We are calling for an end to the aggression at the source of the problem. To stop the genocide, to stop the occupation, to stop apartheid. We must resolve the source of the problem so that we, the Israelis, the region and the whole world can have stability.