Halimah Yacob speaks out on Israel-Hamas war amid bombings & 30,000 death toll
Former president Halimah Yacob has called the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “disturbing on so many fronts” as the death toll rose to almost 30,000 on Monday (26 Feb).
Source: Mohammed Abed/AFP for Getty Images via NBC News
She also decried the bombing of humanitarian aid to Gaza and soldiers taking selfies after blowing up houses.
Talks of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are set to continue in Qatar this week after they took place in Paris days prior.
Halimah calls out war in Gaza
“What’s happening in Gaza is so disturbing on so many fronts,” Madam Halimah wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
She cited the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza as well as civilians being bombed in Rafah after being told to evacuate there by the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
Madam Halimah didn’t mince her words regarding humanitarian aid into Gaza being bombed after being promised safe passage either.
“Grandmothers and mothers proudly declared in front of television cameras that they would not allow a single food truck to reach starving, very ill, injured, very cold, and homeless Palestinians, including many children,” she wrote.
Our natural instincts are to protect the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us. What’s happened to the human soul?
She continued: “After this is over, will the same people be able to live with their consciences knowing that they contributed to the deaths and destruction of thousands of innocent lives?”
World changed forever after Israel-Hamas war
Madam Halimah also noted that the “degradation of the human soul is obvious as the world dithers in ceasefire efforts”.
She added that international laws have become “irrelevant” and the consensus set up to prevent the atrocities of World War 2 “severely compromised”.
“The world is forever changed,” she declared, ending by calling on readers to “stand on the side of humanity”.
Ceasefire talks took place earlier this week in Paris, but the United States vetoed the United Nations’ Security Counsel resolution for a third time on the grounds that it could disrupt hostage negotiations, the New York Times reported.
Talks will reportedly continue in Qatar this week, said Egyptian security officers, according to Reuters.
The talks come amid Israel’s plans to continue its attacks for “six to eight weeks” in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas has repeatedly called to end the war.
Shanmugam shares Facebook post
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam shared Madam Halimah’s post.
“Our ex President Madam Halimah has spoken powerfully, and I agree with her,” he wrote.
It is not the first time Madam Halimah has written about the Israel-Gaza war.
On 12 Dec last year, she also called out the world turning a blind eye to the conflict.
In her post, she lamented that humanity had failed.
Similarly to her latest post, Madam Halimah called on everyone to stand on the side of humanity.
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Featured image adapted from Bloomberg and AP Photo/Fatima Shbair via Asharq Al-Awsat.
