Mustafa at the African Summit: Our People Suffer from the Woes of Occupation and Need Solidarity

SadaNews - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said on Saturday that the Palestinian people are suffering from the woes of Israeli occupation and need solidarity to obtain their freedom from Israel.

Mustafa praised African solidarity with the Palestinian cause in a speech during the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

He pointed out that Israel uses starvation as a tool of war, noting its continued violation of the ceasefire reached through mediators who played an important role in reaching an agreement on it.

The Palestinian Prime Minister emphasized that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state.

He pointed out that Israel continues to commit violations in the West Bank, mentioning that settlers carried out 1,172 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank alone last month.

He also indicated that Israel prevents Palestinians from accessing holy sites in Jerusalem, highlighting its measures and attempts to expand settlement in the city as well as in the West Bank, which he said require an international response.

Mustafa said: "Jerusalem faces systematic Israeli policies aimed at imposing a new reality through legitimizing settlement and undermining the Palestinian presence."

He stressed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Prime Minister stated: "What is happening in the West Bank reflects the same approach that our people in Gaza are subjected to... Israel continues to confiscate citizens' land, expand illegal settlements, and protect settler terrorism in the West Bank."

Mustafa added: "The Israeli government has taken new illegal measures that enhance settlement in the West Bank in order to impose full sovereignty."

He continued: "The recent Israeli measures are a clear violation of international laws and prevent the realization of an independent Palestinian state... These dangerous measures require a firm and decisive international response to protect the two-state solution."

He said: "Our people are in urgent need of solidarity and efforts from the international community to achieve their freedom and self-determination and to realize their independent state on the 1967 borders."

He pointed out that 160 countries have recognized the Palestinian state, calling for enabling African countries to play their leading role.

The Palestinian Prime Minister addressed the continued Israeli withholding of clearance funds, which exceed $4.5 billion.

Mustafa said: "We have lost about 70% of our income due to Israel's withholding of funds allocated to our government."