Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, Palestinian Ambassador to India
Palestinians in Gaza are facing a joint assault by Israel and the United States, Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh, Ambassador of Palestine to India, said in New Delhi on Friday (July 11, 2025). At a press conference, Mr. Abu Shawesh accused Israel of committing genocide and said that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had destroyed two schools and a university library that were built with funding from India.
“Israel is not fighting alone. It is a joint Israel-U.S. war that we are facing in Gaza. Israel is not just killing, it’s committing genocide. Israel also has the support of many other Western countries, including the United Kingdom, which is also supporting Israel in its killing of innocent people,” said Mr. Abu Shawesh.
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The remarks from the Palestinian envoy came against the backdrop of growing international concern about the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip that began after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli targets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington D.C. earlier this week to discuss a ceasefire plan with U.S. President Donald Trump, where he also discussed the possibility of transferring the Palestinians from Gaza to other countries in the region. Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel was working with the U.S. to get a “better future” for the Palestinians.
Responding to the Israeli plan to transfer Palestinians from Gaza, Mr. Abu Shawesh said, “We had a better future in Palestine before Israel was born. We had our homes, we had our Palestinian passports. I still have the keys to my original house that we lost after the creation of Israel. I think the only way to ensure a better future for the Palestinians is to ensure that Israel obeys international law.”
The Palestinian envoy further said that Israelis are targeting the people who are the original inhabitants of Palestine.
“Our people have been living in Palestine even before Prophet Abraham’s arrival,” said Mr. Abu Shawesh, making a presentation about the rights of the Palestinian people to the historic land of Palestine. He also said the Palestinians had agreed to a two-state solution despite the fact that it was unfair to them as it required them to surrender their right to return to their original homes. “The two-state solution was unfair. But we agreed as we wanted to live in peace,” said the Palestinian envoy.
“Nothing is left in Gaza. The Israelis have destroyed everything. Two schools built with India’s assistance have also been destroyed by the IDF,” he said, adding that the Jawaharlal Nehru library in the Al Azhar University – Gaza has also been destroyed.
Published – July 11, 2025 10:56 pm IST
