Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | President Yoweri Museveni has strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians in the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel.
The hostilities erupted on Saturday when militant groups from the Gaza Strip launched a large-scale armed offensive against Israel. They breached the Gaza-Israel barrier, gaining access to Gaza border crossings, nearby Israeli cities, military installations, and civilian settlements.
Museveni expressed his frustration on X, questioning why the two-state solution hasn’t been implemented. He stated, “The outbreak of renewed violence in Israel-Palestine is regrettable. Why haven’t the two sides implemented the two-state solution?” The two-state solution proposes establishing separate states for Israelis and Palestinians.
This proposal traces back to the 1993 Oslo Accords, a historical agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to work towards a two-state solution. It stemmed from decades of conflict over self-determination in historical Palestine.
In 1948, the first partition attempt resulted in an Israeli state but no Palestinian state. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and other Arab territories, leading to the idea of land exchanges for peace.
As of Sunday morning, the conflict had claimed the lives of at least 300 people, with over 2,000 injured in Gaza and Israel. Rockets from Gaza targeted Israeli civilians, causing casualties. Many of the victims were civilians, including women and children.
President Museveni’s statement emphasized the condemnation of targeting civilians, a practice he found reprehensible.
In response to the attack, the Israeli Defence Forces declared a state of alert for war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a robust response, describing Hamas as a merciless enemy.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh indicated that the assault might extend to the West Bank and Jerusalem. The Gaza Strip has faced a 16-year-long Israeli blockade.
Haniyeh highlighted issues like threats to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the ongoing blockade, and regional normalization with Israel, emphasizing the long-standing Palestinian grievances.
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