‘Indiafriendofpalestine, Israel; hopingforpositiverole’

PALESTINIAN AMBASSADOR to India, calledontheinternationalcommunity to find a solution to the ongoing conflict in an interview to Edited excerpts:

ADNAN ABU ALHAIJA, DIVYA A. What is your assessment of the current situation?

What I have heard from the Israelis themselves, and let me say what I have seen of the Americans and some European countrieslikebritainandfrance, whentheyusevetointheunited Nations, it means they are covering Israel's crimes and they don't want this war to end.

Wearelookingforaceasefire as soon as possible. We are looking to stop the siege of Gaza. Humanitarian aid should reach peopleassoonaspossible, especially medicines, oxygen, water, electricityandfood. Weareworking hard with all our friends to stopthiswarassoonaspossible.

What do you think of India’s response so far?

Wehavenoticedthetweetof the Indianprime Ministerat the beginning, and later his phone call with Israeli PM (Benjamin) Netanyahu. We hope India will play a positive role with people who are working hard for a ceasefire, for breaking the siege of 2.2 million people living in Gaza. Butthe(attitudeof) Indian peopleingeneral— whatwenotice from social media — has changedfromthetimethisconflict started on October 7.

We are always looking to India to play a positive role, especially because it is a friend of both Palestine and Israel. Stabilityinwestasiaisveryimportant for India itself.

What role does Palestine expect the international community to play?

The Palestinian people are looking for a ceasefire and for breaking the siege of Gaza. But the international community is responsible for finding a political solution, and going back to what we signed 30 years ago – theosloagreement, whichsays the Palestinian state should existonthelandof 1967, witheast Jerusalem as its capital.

After the hospital attack, do you think the understanding

of the world may have shifted?

Yes, themajority, buttheyare criminals. First, they said we bombed (the hospital) because members of Hamas were there. Thentheychanged(theirstand). Now, they say the rocket was from Islamic Jihad.

The creation of Israel itself comesfromlies. Thetruthisthat Israel is a military base for the Americanandwesterncountries, andthenormaljewishpeopleare victims like the Palestinian people. Iamsuretherearenicejewish people, and we are not against any Jew in the world. We are against the Zionists, against the occupation. We don't fight the Jews because there are Palestinian Jews as well, and we usedtolivetogetherinpalestine.

Some Opposition leaders from India met you, what was the conversation about?

It was a lot of solidarity and understanding. They still have the traditional attitude of India towards the Palestinian cause, andtheyhavetheirunderstanding about the apartheid regime of Israel and the occupation itself. They present their solidarity and they are also with the two-state solution.

Civilians on both sides are suffering. How can that be stopped?

We signed the Oslo Agreement30yearsago, andwe were expecting to have our independent state in 1999. Those who are leading Israel now are notlookingforpeace. Theykilled the Oslo Accord, destroyed the two-state solution. When they came and invaded the Al Aqsa Mosque, there was the second Intifada... Buttheregimebecame popular and the Israeli society also became extreme.

Israel says about 200 people, including foreign nationals, have been taken hostage by the Hamas.

I heard from the Hamas spokesmanthattheywillrelease allthecivilianswithoutanyconditions. Some people captured were military and some were civilians. The Hamas said they will release all the civilians, but, because of the war, it's not safe forthemtoreleasethemjustlike that... They are waiting to check if any other parties also have civilian hostages (so as to) take them and release them.

We are against the killing of civilians, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis... The Israelis have never condemned thekillingofpalestiniancivilians.

What do you call the October 7 attack on Israeli territory by the Hamas?

You can't take October 7 just as October 7, because of what's goingoningazaandinthewest Bank. The killings, arrests, confiscationof land, buildingsettlements, and attacks on mosques have been going on for a long time. Sincethebeginningof this year, beforeoctober7, theyhave killed260peopleinwestbank...