In a compelling call for peace, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has issued a strong demand for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, highlighting the urgent need for safe and unimpeded access to deliver humanitarian assistance to those in dire need.
This appeal comes in response to the ongoing conflict that has seen Israel defy numerous UN resolutions calling for a halt in hostilities.
The 15-member CARICOM community expressed its profound dismay over Israel’s disregard for the UN General Assembly and Security Council’s resolutions advocating for a ceasefire, as well as ignoring provisional measures set forth by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The group’s statement emphasized the critical need for the United Nations General Assembly to exercise its authority under Resolution 377A, known as “Uniting for Peace,” to convene an emergency session. The aim is to recommend collective actions by UN Member States to press Israel into complying with its international obligations.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, CARICOM condemned the Israeli actions that have breached international humanitarian law and violated the human rights of the Palestinian people. The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israel has resulted in a significant loss of civilian lives, destruction of essential infrastructure, and a severe scarcity of basic needs such as food, water, and medical supplies.
The deteriorating conditions in Gaza, marked by unprecedented casualties, including the deaths of women and children, widespread displacement, and suffering, have deeply troubled CARICOM. Furthermore, the continuing expansion of Israeli occupation in the West Bank is viewed as a persistent threat to global peace and stability.
Reaffirming its dedication to finding a peaceful resolution, CARICOM advocates for a comprehensive approach towards achieving a two-state solution, aligning with United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. This path is seen as the only feasible route to establishing lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In its closing remarks, CARICOM urged a reinvigorated commitment to peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through constructive dialogue and negotiations. The community calls on the international community to actively facilitate a permanent resolution to the conflict, ensuring the dignity, human rights, and security of all parties involved.
In the meantime, against the background of the Israel’s killing of some 30-thousands Gazan civilians and children, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he will not accept Hamas’s demands in the continuing negotiations for a truce in Gaza, casting further doubt that a deal between Israel and the Palestinian group is imminent.
In remarks today, Netanyahu, who has insisted that the war will go on even in the event of a prolonged pause, said that he has “rejected the international pressures to end the war before the goals are reached”, despite increasing international political pressure.
Netanyahu also stated that Israel would move to eliminate Hamas fighters in Rafah, a move that humanitarian groups and countries from around the world would result in a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than one million displaced Palestinians packed into Rafah with nowhere to flee.
Weighing in on calls for ultra-Orthodox Jews to be drafted, Netanyahu said that recruitment goals have been set but that this can only be met “without dividing the people” (WiredJA).
