MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - The international community, specifically the United States and the European Union, should recognize Gaza as a separate political entity, if there is any hope for peace in the region, former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and former US President Jimmy Carter wrote in an op-ed for Foreign Policy magazine.
“Hamas is not just a military but also a political force. Hamas cannot be wished away, nor will it cooperate in its own demise. Only by recognizing its legitimacy as a political actor – one that represents a substantial portion of the Palestinian people – can the West begin to provide the right incentives for Hamas to lay down its weapons,” said the authors of the op-ed.
Carter and Robinson have labeled the ongoing conflict a humanitarian catastrophe.
“There is no humane or legal justification for the way the Israeli Defense Forces are conducting this war. Israeli bombs, missiles and artillery have pulverized large parts of Gaza, including thousands of homes, schools and hospitals. More than 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinian noncombatants have been killed. Much of Gaza has lost access to water and electricity completely. This is a humanitarian catastrophe,” they continued.
The former presidents have also pointed out in their op-ed the need of restoring the free movement of people and goods to and from Gaza through Israel, Egypt and the sea.
