President Hage Geingob has issued a strong plea for peace in light of the intensifying Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Geingob said he is deeply troubled by the current situation and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, underlining the need to safeguard the lives of innocent civilians and protect vital infrastructure in Gaza.
His statement followed an attack Palestine Hamas fighters launched Israel on 7 October from the blockaded Gaza Strip and killed over 1 300 people, mostly civilians, and took about 150 hostages.
Israel has responded with relentless shelling of the Gaza Strip, killing over 2 200 people so far and cutting off electricity, food, and water supplies to the long-blockaded coastal enclave.
Drawing a poignant historical parallel, he highlighted that Namibians suffered greatly at the hands of German colonial forces in the early 20th century. This dark chapter in Namibia’s past is now recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century.
The President underscored that the violence perpetrated by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in Gaza is not only disproportionate but also a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
He said these actions have failed to protect the lives and well-being of nearly one million civilians in Gaza, including health workers and critical infrastructure.
“The people of Gaza have a right to water; they have a right to food and electricity; they have a right to fuel and other basic necessities,” Geingob said.
He added that as the occupying power, Israel bears the responsibility of ensuring these services are accessible to Gaza’s residents.
Given Namibia’s history of violence against civilians during the apartheid era, Geingob appealed to the international community and, specifically, to Israel to halt the large-scale violence and devastating airstrikes in Gaza.
Of great concern to the President is Israel’s decision to force the residents of northern Gaza to evacuate their homes and livelihoods within a mere 24 hours, which he described as inhumane, likening it to a genocidal act, and demanded its immediate reversal.
He asserted that the ongoing military offensive against innocent civilians in Gaza amounts to genocide and called upon the international community to unite and address this unfolding human catastrophe, urging the world not to turn a blind eye.
Reiterating Namibia’s previous call to the United Nations during the 78th Session of the United Nations in September 2023, Geingob emphasised that the Palestinian people yearn to break free from oppressive conditions. He further appealed to the United Nations Security Council to promptly enforce resolutions that uphold the Palestinians’ right to live in peace and determine their own future.
In a balanced plea to all parties involved, including Hamas, President Geingob called for an end to horrific acts of violence against civilians, recognising that such acts only escalate the conflict. He also called for the release of hostages in line with international law.
Geingob restated: “One does not make peace with one’s friends, one makes peace with one’s enemies”, and maintained that “when diplomacy fails, people go to war”. In that vein, he called for an immediate ceasefire and appealed to all parties to return to the negotiating table and pursue the moral path of a two-state solution in which the people of Palestine and Israel can live and co-exist as neighbours in peace and harmony.
President Geingob also offered condolences to those who lost loved ones in the conflict and wished a swift recovery to those who sustained injuries in the ongoing conflict.