Today, because of the Israeli ‘right to defend themselves’ from the capturing of two IDF soldiers, their invasion of South Lebanon, and the total destruction of Lebanese infrastructure, many Lebanese are fleeing the country and become refugees abroad, while the Palestinian refugees in the camps are moving closer together in the already cramped space to share what they have with Palestinians who had managed to set up a life outside of the camps before the attacks, as well as with displaces Lebanese families who have no other place to go to seek shelter than the UNWRA schools inside the camps.

We condemn in the strongest terms possible the attacks by the Israeli military resulting in the loss of life of hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and the total and complete destruction of Lebanese and Gazan infrastructure. Lebanon has now almost become like another Gaza, the biggest prison on earth, in that the Israeli Defence Forces control the airspace, the sea and some of its borders.

There are indications that in blatant disregard of international law and the Geneva Convention, the state of Israel is using banned weapons, e.g. phosphorous bombs in Lebanon and Gaza, killing innocent civilians, including children. The whole population of Lebanon has been taken hostage by the IDF attacks from the air and the sea.  

As the United States has failed its self-appointed role as ‘sheriff of the world’, we call upon the Malaysian Government who holds the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),  and on the United Nations General Assembly to implement emergency measures to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian and Lebanese people at the hands of Israel, to help broker an immediate ceasefire, and take an active role in stopping the situation in the Middle East from deteriorating further.

The current grim situation that Palestinians have to face in Gaza and the West Bank, and the situation in Lebanon is heaping injustice upon injustice, to make any future attempts at a peaceful solution for the Palestinians more difficult. 

PEACE BEGINS WITH JUSTICE!