Senate tasks FG on Israel-Hamas conflict

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to intervene in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, toward bringing it to an end.

This followed adoption of a motion at plenary on Tuesday on “Urgent need to call for ceasefire on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas”, by Sen. Adamu Alero (PDP-Kebbi) and Sen. Sumalia Kawu (NNPP-Kano) and co sponsored by 43 other senators.

Presenting the motion, Alero said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a complex and long-standing conflict that had been going on for over 100 years.

He said the battle was rooted in competing claims to the land of Israel and Palestine and has been marked by violence, displacement, and suffering on both sides.

He said the conflict began in the early 1900s, as Jewish immigrants from Europe began to settle in Palestine, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.

Alero said the influx of Jewish immigrants led to tensions with the Palestinian Arab population, who felt that their land was being taken away from them.

He said In 1948, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.

According to him, the Jewish community accepted the plan, but the Arab community rejected it.

“This led to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which resulted in the defeat of the Arab armies and the establishment of the State of Israel.”

He said the war also led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who became refugees. Many of these refugees remain in refugee camps in the West .

He said the conflict has since been marked by a series of wars, uprisings, and negotiations, One of the most significant events in the battle was the six-day war in 1967, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza strip, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights from Egypt, Jordan.

Alero said occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip has been a significant source of tension and conflict.

He said there has been a renewed effort to negotiate a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, however, the talks have so far failed to produce a lasting peace.

He said media reports, citing the Gaza Ministry of Health, indicate that the number of people killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 has risen to over 8000. Women, children and members of the press have made up more than 62 per cent of the fatalities, while more than 15,273 people.

He said since the recent conflict started in October a large number of infrastructure had been destroyed.

He said the international community had condemned the conflict and that if urgent steps were not taken the battle may spread to neighbouring countries and then to the allies of Israel and Palestine.

He said the conflict may further result in the loss of more lives and property.

Sen.Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA -Abia),who seconded the motion also condemned the wanton destruction of lives and called for a solution that would lead to a permanent end in this conflict.

He said that a two state solution had been proposed and accepted but one side had refused to accept and the other side said they want to protect themselves.

“But the point is that the world knows that “an eye for eye” will lead to everybody not having an eye at all.”

Deputy President of Senate, Barau Jibrin commended the sponsors of the motion saying that the concern all over the world was for a ceasefire , saying that the can be any form of economic development without peace.

He said what was required at the moment was peace, saying that the concept of an “eye for an eye” should not be embraced.

“We should add our voices to other nation to accent a two state solution for a permanent solution.

“Let the killing stop and then the world will seat down to negotiate for a permanent two states solution,” he said.

Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger) said the issue was not about who was right or wrong, but what was important was for Nigeria calling for peace in the region.

He said there had never been peace since 1948 adding that innocent children and women were been killed in the conflict.

He said a there was nothing wrong for a country like Nigeria in Africa calling for peace.

He urged Nigeria to rally round United Nations and press for a two state solution as easier proposed by the UN.

Senate in its resolution urged the federal government to press for a two state solution as a panacea for permanent resolution to the Israeli-Palestanian crisis as earlier agreed by the United Nations since 1948.

President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio in his remarks said the motion was emotive.

Akpabio said the two parties involved in the conflict must learn to live in peace and that a two state solution should be worked upon.

“Let me thank the Nigerian Senate for raising the issue and identifying with the plight harmless children plight of innocent citizens, the plight of our fellow citizens who are daily been slaughtered.

“I also thank our colleagues, this issue is a very important issue, what is happening in that region should be of concern to all and I thank all of you for this resolution as a Senate,” he said.