By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate has urged the Nigerian government to work with the United Nations and other countries of the world to ensure an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
It also urged the federal government to press for a two-state solution to end the conflict, in which thousands, including women, children, and aid workers had been killed.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sumaila Kawu (PDP, Kebbi) and co-sponsored by 43 others.
Kawu said the casualty figures in the war were horrifying and that if not ended immediately, it may lead to World War III.
Senators who contributed to the debate, including Barau Jibrin (Kano), Enyinaya Abaribe (Abia), and Sani Musa (Niger), all condemned the killings on both sides and called for an immediate end to the killings and save lives and property.
Part of the motion read, “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex and long-standing conflict that has been ongoing for over 100 years.
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“The battle is rooted in competing claims to the land of Israel and Palestine and has been marked by violence, displacement, and suffering on both sides.
“Further Note that the conflict began in the early 1900s, as Jewish immigrants from Europe began to settle in Palestine, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.
“The influx of Jewish immigrants led to tensions with the Palestinian Arab population, who felt that their land was being taken away from them. Aware that: In 1948, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.
“The Jewish community accepted the plan, but the Arab community rejected it. This led to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which resulted in the defeat of the Arab armies and the establishment of the State of Israel.
“The war also led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who became refugees. Many of these refugees remain in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and neighbouring Arab countries.
“The conflict has since been marked by a series of wars, uprisings, and negotiations. One of the most significant events in the battle was the Six-Day War in 1967, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
“The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has been a significant source of tension and conflict. The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel, on the other hand, has built settlements in the West Bank, which it claims are necessary for its security.
“In recent years, there has been a renewed effort to negotiate a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. However, these talks have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement.
“From October 2023 to date, Israeli air attacks and shelling aimed at houses and apartment buildings have displaced some 123,538 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the UN humanitarian relief agency.
“Latest media reports, citing the Gaza Ministry of Health, indicate that the number of people killed in Gaza since October 7 has risen to over 8000.
“Women, children, and members of the press have made up more than 62 per cent of the fatalities, while more than 15,273 people have been injured.”
