The international community’s response to the aggression on Gaza has been disappointing and frustrating.
The grand imam of Egypt’s prestigious Al-Azhar University has said that the international community’s reactions to Israel’s war on Gaza have been “disappointing.”
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb’s remarks came during his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Cairo, according to a statement from Al-Azhar on Sunday.
Al-Tayeb and Guterres discussed the latest developments in Gaza, the statement said.
“What is happening in Gaza threatens to undermine the efforts of communication and rapprochement that we have been undertaking for years and attempts to bridge the gap between East and West,” al-Tayeb said.
A major moment of my Ramadan solidarity mission was being received by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar @alimamaltayeb in Cairo.
His permanent engagement to foster peace & solidarity must be an example to all – now more than ever. pic.twitter.com/u10LkeOwAH
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 24, 2024
The international community’s response to the aggression on Gaza has been disappointing and frustrating, unlike that of the people in Western societies, he reportedly added.
The imam praised the stance of the people, saying “we have seen great fairness from Western and American peoples, and even from some fair-minded Jews who came out to demand an end to the aggression on Gaza.”
‘Stop This Suffering’
The Egyptian statement quoted Guterres as saying: “I convey our appreciation to Al-Azhar as a strong voice defending and supporting the Palestinian people and our insistence on exerting pressure on the international community to respect the rights of Palestinians and reduce their suffering.”
“Yesterday, I visited the Rafah crossing to send a message about the necessity of stopping the aggression and for the international community to fulfill its duties with decisions and not just words.”
“I saw on the other side of the Palestinian crossing the Palestinians suffering from severe shortages of food and drink and the spread of various infectious diseases. We all have to highlight and stop this suffering immediately. It is our responsibility,” Guterres added.
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The UN Secretary-Genearl emphasized that “Islamophobia has developed significantly and has become one of the most widespread forms of discrimination and hatred, aided by modern technological developments.”
He cited the situation in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and other parts of Africa, saying “I do not recall a more dangerous period than what we are experiencing now.”
Guterres also stressed his continued support for justice in Gaza, adding that “no one will be able to silence his voice.”
‘Sacred Jerusalem’
The Imam posted on X that “We agreed to keep exercising pressure on the international community to immediately stop the aggression against Gaza, and that it is time to give the Palestinians their right to establish their independent state with Sacred Jerusalem as its capital.”
Guterres arrived in the Egyptian city of El-Arish adjacent to the Gaza Strip on Saturday. This was his second visit since the start of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza last October.
Today, I received my dear friend, Mr. @antonioguterres Secretary-General of the United Nations. We agreed to keep exercising pressure on the international community to immediately stop the aggression against Gaza, and that it is time to give the Palestinians their right to… pic.twitter.com/nRdN2YY0Lu
— أحمد الطيب (@alimamaltayeb) March 24, 2024
The secretary-general also visited wounded Palestinians who were transferred from the besieged enclave for treatment at the city’s hospital.
Over 32,200 Killed
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 32,226 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,518 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire.’
(Anadolu, PC)
