Rotterdam (South Holland, The Netherlands): In a touching display of solidarity, the Olive Tree Planting Foundation under the patronage of Esther van der Most Thursday December 20, 2023 mobilised at the iconic Binnenrotte Square in Rotterdam over 8,000 pairs of shoes each symbolizing a Palestinian child killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces in Gaza.
The protest aimed to draw the world attention to the killing of Palestinian babies by the Israeli Occupation Forces following the indiscriminate bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip for the last 76 days.
The shoes were periodically added every 10 minutes, reflecting the ongoing loss of life in Gaza because of the round of the clock bombings of the Israeli Occupation Forces on the civilian areas, hospitals, schools, churches, mosques and health facilities.
Participants at the event mourned the killing of civilians in Gaza and other occupied Palestine territories and called for an end to the occupation and violence in the conflict zone.
Banners having messages ‘Don’t kill Palestinian children’ and ‘They have names. They had dreams.’ transformed the square into a place of sombre remembrance.
More than 200 current and former Australian Members of Parliament and Councillors from across the political spectrum have called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, recognition of Palestine as a state, end of the Israeli occupation and a reassessment of Australia's relationship with Israel.
"We stand with Palestine, the Palestinian people, including Palestinian Australians and with all others who support truth and justice, including the many Jewish people protesting Israeli violence against Palestinians”, the Australian MPs said in a statement Thursday.
Those who signed the statement included current federal, state and local MPs, 19 NSW MP’s, as well as many local councillors.
Also included in the list of signees are two former Foreign Ministers, Gareth Evans and Bob Carr, all current and former leaders of the Australian Greens from Bob Brown to Adam Bandt and Mehreen Faruqi, former Labor Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe, and former Liberal Minister for Immigration Ian Macphee.
“The horrifying situation unfolding in Gaza requires us to all do whatever we can – big or small to address the situation – we all have an obligation to uphold and respect human rights as well as international law", the MPs said.
“In initiating this statement and inviting local, state and federal elected representatives to sign on in support, we have added our hundreds of voices to all of those mobilising in communities here and around the world for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace", they said.
"The occupation by Israel of the West Bank and Gaza, ongoing since 1967, continues to involve military occupation, illegal settlement expansion, land theft, violence, discrimination, restrictions on movement and the subjugation of the Palestinian people. The situation is intolerable and to the shame of the international community", they said.
In their statement, the MPs also asked the Australian government to publicly stand with the Palestinians and urged the Zionist regime in Israel to end the occupation in Palestine.
"While Gaza was cleared of illegal Israeli settlements in 2005, the ongoing blockade clearly constitutes an occupation under applicable international law standards", they said.
"It is beyond dispute that Israel is committed to policies designed to entrench the domination of one people over another in the territories of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Attempts to deny this, or smear those who allege it, are an attempt to defy truth and reality", the MPs said.
"We call on the Australian Government to publicly advocate for an immediate permanent ceasefire, to continue to call for the release of all hostages and urge that all parties fully comply with international standards. We call on the Australian Government to recognise Palestine as a state that is entitled to be free of occupation and examine its relationship with Israel", they added.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza due to the Israeli bombing crossed 20,000 mark Friday December 22. As many as 53,320 others have been injured and over 1.09 lakh Gazans have been displaced.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza says 390 Palestinians have been killed and 734 injured in the past two days while communications were suspended. Another 303 Palestinians have been killed in the Occupied West Bank.
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