* Charges UN to oversee compliance
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Nigeria has said the news of the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance group, Hamas is a welcome development.
In a statement issued by their Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, on Sunday, January 19, 2025, the Muslim group noted that the ceasefire will bring the much-needed relief to the people of Gaza.
MPAC, however, called on the international community to hold Israel accountable given its history of not honouring ceasefire agreements.
It added that the United Nations should play an active role in overseeing compliance with the agreement.
“We urge the international community to recognize Israel’s track record of violating ceasefire agreements and to hold them accountable for their actions. The United Nations, in particular, must take an active role in overseeing compliance with the ceasefire agreement through all its phases,” the group said.
“It is imperative that the UN ensures the implementation of the agreement’s terms, including the release of detainees, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the reconstruction of Gaza. The UN’s involvement is crucial in maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the process.”
Muslim News gathered that the grisly search for an estimated 10,000 bodies buried under the concrete wasteland in Gaza is now under way as the ceasefire agreement entered Day 2 on Monday, January 20, with at least 62 of the dead recovered after the ceasefire halted fighting
Kamor – a popular Nigerian pro-palestinian advocate said the United States cannot be considered a moral and honest arbiter in the Israel-Hamas conflict due to its complicity.
“The US has played a significant role in enabling Israel’s aggressive policies, including the delivery of weapons, funding, cooperation, and political cover for Israeli crimes. The provision of US bombs, jet fuel, manpower and intelligence has facilitated Israel’s destruction of Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 100,000 Palestinians and the displacement of millions,” he said.
“Furthermore, the US has consistently shielded Israel from accountability, protecting it from US laws that Israel has likely violated and blocking efforts to hold Israel accountable at the UN Security Council. This unconditional support has emboldened Israel to continue its expansionist policies, including the annexation of territories in the West Bank and the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure.
“We urge the international community to recognize the US role in perpetuating the conflict and to hold both Israel and the US accountable for their actions. The UN must take an active role in overseeing compliance with the ceasefire agreement and ensuring that Israel is held accountable for its violations of international law.”
MPAC said lasting peace can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the conflict.
The root causes, according to MPAC, include Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and the US’s complicity in perpetuating the conflict.
“We call on the international community to work towards a comprehensive solution that recognizes the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom, independence, and self-determination,” the group added.
MPAC said it will continue to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and to push for a just and lasting peace in the region.
Meanwhile, celebrations in the occupied West Bank as 90 Palestinian prisoners are freed from Israeli jails as part of a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Palestinians in Gaza are returning to their ruined homes and awaiting the delivery of much-needed food and medical assistance after Israeli forces finally ended their 15-month-long bombardment of the besieged territory.
An estimated 600 desperately needed aid trucks will enter Gaza each day as part of the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,035 Palestinians and wounded 111,091 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than