A symbolic action against the ongoing genocide in Gaza was held today in Għadira Bay, Malta. People gathered to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire as well as an end to 75 years of Israeli colonisation of Palestine.

The location was chosen to highlight how the scenic Mediterranean beaches of Gaza and their surroundings have become the stage for the systemic massacre of Palestinian children, women and men by the Israeli state. Mass graves lie in the sandy beaches where children once played. Over the past four months, Israel has bombed all areas of Gaza, launched a ground invasion which butchered any Palestinian in sight, and enforced a siege that blocks basic needs from reaching Palestinians.

Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Israel’s request to stop hearing the accusations of genocide against it. The Court also recognised the alarming nature of the actions and statements by Israel’s leaders, ordering Israel to stop killing the Palestinians and to end its siege on Gaza. However, Israel had already stated that it would not be abiding by the decisions of the international courts.

From the 7 October to the 25 January, over 33,000 Palestinians have been massacred by Israel in Gaza (figure includes those presumed dead under the rubble), 60% of whom are women and children (source: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor). Almost all of Gaza’s population has been forcibly displaced and is struggling to survive in confined and extremely crowded areas. Even there, Palestinians are not safe from Israeli genocidal aggression. Israel is bombing and shooting at schools, hospitals, refugee camps, churches and mosques, leading to an almost total collapse of the healthcare and aid systems. Moreover, the extermination of Palestinians is being executed by means of a blockade that stops food, clean water, medicine and essential aid from entering the Gaza stirp. Currently, Gaza is dying from starvation and disease.

What happened over the past four months in Gaza is extreme, but not surprising. It is the continuation of the long-standing Israeli project to expel Palestinians from their land and to keep those who manage to remain under harsh oppression. The West Bank and Gaza have endured decades of illegal Israeli occupation and settler violence, an apartheid system, blockades, and repeated military aggressions that led to the killing and kidnapping of tens of thousands of Palestinians by Israel.

The perpetration of these atrocities has been enabled through the provision of military, economic and political support to Israel by the United States and many European countries. This support continued even as Israel started committing a full-blown genocide. In the face of this injustice, it is our moral duty to keep talking about freedom for Palestine and to persist in denouncing genocide.

Sadly, we note that declarations in solidarity with Palestine by representatives of the Maltese Government at the local level do not always match with Malta’s actions on the international stage. Malta has so far failed to recognise that the current Israeli aggression amounts to genocide, and although it has called for a permanent ceasefire, it failed to do so within international institutions.

Thus, we call on the Maltese Government to:
• Join South Africa’s ICJ genocide case and push for European sanctions against Israel until it continues to ignore the interim measures imposed by the international court.
• Close Malta’s airspace and sea to weapons of war.
• Voice unequivocal support within European and international institutions for the Palestinian cause and demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Organisations:
1. Embassy of the State of Palestine in Malta
2. Moviment Graffitti
3. Youth for Palestine

******

Ġenoċidju fil-Mediterran – Azzjoni Simbolika għal Gaża fil-Bajja tal-Għadira

Illum fil-Bajja tal-Għadira f’Malta saret azzjoni simbolika kontra l-ġenoċidju li għaddej f’Gaża. In-nies inġabru biex jitolbu l-waqfien immedjat u permanenti tal-ġlied, u talbu wkoll għat-tmiem ta’ 75 sena kolonizzazzjoni tal-Palestina mill-Iżrael.

Il-post intgħażel biex jenfasizza kif il-bajjiet tal-Mediterran ta’ Gaża u l-inħawi tagħhom saru l-post ewlieni għall-massakru sistemiku ta’ tfal, nisa u rġiel Palestinjani mill-istat Iżraeljan. Il-bajjiet ramlin huma mimlija oqbra tal-massa fejn it-tfal darba kienu jilagħbu. Matul l-aħħar erba’ xhur, l-Iżrael ibbumbardja l-inħawi kollha ta’ Gaża, nieda invażjoni tal-art li qatlet kull Palestinjan li sabet quddiemha, u wettaq assedju li qiegħed iwaqqaf il-bżonnijiet bażiċi milli jaslu għandu il-Palestinjani.

Il-ġimgħa li għaddiet, il-Qorti Internazzjonali tal-Ġustizzja (ICJ) ċaħdet it-talba tal-Iżrael biex iwaqqaf is-smigħ tal-akkużi ta’ ġenoċidju kontrih. Il-Qorti rrikonoxxiet ukoll in-natura allarmanti tal-azzjonijiet u dikjarazzjonijiet mill-mexxejja tal-Iżrael, u ordnat lill-Iżrael biex iwaqqaf il-qtil tal-Palestinjani u biex itemm l-assedju tiegħu fuq Gaża. Madankollu, l-Iżrael kien diġà ddikjara li mhux se jimxi mad-deċiżjonijiet tal-qrati internazzjonali.

Mis-7 ta’ Ottubru sal-25 ta’ Jannar, ‘il fuq minn 33,000 Palestinjan ġew massakrati mill-Iżraeljani f’Gaża (il-figura tinkludi l-persuni maħsuba mejta taħt it-terrapien), u 60% minnhom huma nisa u tfal (sors: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor). Kważi l-popolazzjoni kollha ta’ Gaża ġiet spostata bil-forza u qed tissielet biex tgħix f’żoni marsusa u iffullati ħafna. Anke hemmhekk, il-Palestinjani mhumiex siguri mill-aggressjoni ġenoċidali Iżraeljana. L-Iżraeljani qed jibbumbardjaw u jisparaw fi skejjel, sptarijiet, kampijiet tar-refuġjati, knejjes u moskej, bir-riżultat ta’ kollass kważi totali tas-sistemi tas-saħħa u l-għajnuna. Barra minn hekk, l-esterminazzjoni tal-Palestinjani qed tiġi eżegwita permezz ta’ imblokk li jwaqqaf l-ikel, l-ilma nadif, il-mediċina u l-għajnuna essenzjali milli jidħlu fil-Medda ta’ Gaża. Bħalissa, in-nies f’Gaża qed imutu bil-ġuħ u mill-mard.

Dak li seħħ f’Gaża fl-aħħar erba’ xhur huwa estrem iżda mhux sorprendenti. Din hija l-kontinwazzjoni tal-proġett fit-tul li l-Iżrael fassal biex ikeċċi lill-Palestinjani minn arthom u jżomm taħt oppressjoni ħarxa lil dawk li jirnexxielhom jibqgħu. Ix-Xatt tal-Punent u Gaża ilhom deċennji sħaħ jissaportu l-okkupazzjoni illegali Iżraeljana, vjolenza mis-settlers, sistema ta’ apartheid, imblokki, u aggressjonijiet militari kontinwi li wasslu għall-qtil u l-ħtif ta’ għexieren ta’ eluf ta’ Palestinjani mill-Iżrael.

It-twettiq ta’ dawn l-atroċitajiet tħalla jseħħ permezz tal-provvista ta’ appoġġ militari, ekonomiku u politiku lill-Iżrael mill-Istati Uniti u ħafna pajjiżi Ewropej. Dan l-appoġġ kompla anke meta l-Iżrael beda jwettaq ġenoċidju sħiħ. Quddiem din l-inġustizzja, huwa dmir morali tagħna li nibqgħu nitkellmu dwar il-libertà għall-Palestina u li ninsistu li nikkundannaw il-ġenoċidju.

Sfortunatament, innutajna li dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ solidarjetà mal-Palestina minn rappreżentanti tal-Gvern Malti fil-livell lokali mhux dejjem jaqblu ma’ dak li Malta qiegħda tagħhmel fuq livell internazzjonali. S’issa Malta naqset milli tirrikonoxxi li l-aggressjoni attwali mill-Iżrael hija ġenoċidju, u għalkemm talbet il-waqfien permanenti tal-ġlied, m’għamlitx dan fi ħdan istituzzjonijiet internazzjonali.

Għalhekk qed nappellaw lill-Gvern Malti biex:
• Jissieħeb fil-każ quddiem l-ICJ tal-Afrika t’Isfel u jinsisti fuq sanzjonijiet Ewropej kontra l-Iżrael sakemm ikompli jinjora l-miżuri interim imposti mill-Qorti internazzjonali.
• Jagħlaq l-ispazju tal-ajru u l-ibħra Maltin għall-armi tal-gwerra.
• Jesprimi appoġġ ċar għall-kawża Palestinjana fi ħdan l-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej u internazzjonali u jitlob it-tmiem tal-okkupazzjoni Iżraeljana tal-Palestina.

Organizzazzjonijiet:
1. L-Ambaxxata Palestinjana f’Malta
2. Moviment Graffitti
3. Youth for Palestine