By Lloyd Rabaya
The Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr. Tamer Almassri has condemned an act of barbarity by Israeli settlers who forced a Palestinian family to exhume the corpse of their 80-year-old father.
In a statement, Almassri said the family of Hussein Asasa was forced to exhume his body from a freshly dug grave in their own village despite having all the necessary permits.
This, Almassri said, “Is a clear example of the extreme measure Israeli settlers are willing to take to assert their dominance over the Palestinian population and a stark reminder of the systematic dehumanization of Palestinians that is unfolding across the Occupied Palestinian Territories that spares no one- neither the living nor the dead.”
Almassri also noted that at least 13 Palestinians are killed monthly with hundreds injured and many more driven from their homes.
“Netanyahu’s fascist government, which staunchly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, has been accelerating illegal settlement building and empowering Israeli settlers or soldiers to use their weapons to commit violence against Palestinians increasing threat to the safety and livelihoods of Palestinians,” he remarked.
Almassri called on the international community to condemn Israel’s actions and hold them accountable for their crimes.
“The fact that the Israeli government has been able to act with impunity for so long is a clear indication of the failure of the international community.
The United Nations and other international organizations must take a strong stance against the Israeli government’s actions and demand that they respect the rights of the Palestinian population,” he highlighted.
Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 72 740, with 172 192 casualties and over 12 000 still buried under the rubble, according to the Palestinian envoy.
