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Remember Deketeke

Herald Correspondent

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri yesterday discussed the potential to further deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing journalists after their closed-door meeting in Harare yesterday, Minister Kazembe said Harare will stand with the Palestinians in their fight against the ongoing genocide perpetrated by Israel.

Over 41 000 defenceless Palestinians, mainly women and children, have been ruthlessly killed by Israeli forces in air and ground assaults since October last year.

Said Minister Kazembe: “We have been brothers and sisters (Zimbabwe and Palestine) for quite a very long time, in the sense that we are victims of those people who want to call themselves big brothers of the world.

“We spoke about a lot of things and of course, we also expressed our condolences with regards to the many Palestinians who have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip.

“We stand with them in Zimbabwe, as always, and we will always be by their side. We hope and trust that this genocide will come to an end.”

Minister Kazembe said they also discussed about areas of possible cooperation and the visa regime between the two countries.

“We spoke about how we can facilitate trade between our two countries, how we can facilitate the ease of doing business between our two countries.”

On his part, Ambassador Almassri said relations between Palestine and Zimbabwe are deep-rooted and must be further strengthened.

“These countries have been inseparable but there is a need to further deepen the already existing relations, which will help in changing the economic and political narrative,” he said.

Ambassador Almassri said he also received great support from Minister Kazembe in particular and the Government in general, in respect of the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel.

“(From that solidarity) I hear a clear message and a clear call to end this occupation and to end this genocide,” he said.

Israel has now taken part of its killing machinery to Lebanon where it launched fierce airstrikes in the last three days, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Yesterday, Al Jazeera reported that about eight people were killed in Lebanon and dozens injured in an Israeli attack on a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.

Five children are among the victims of the attack on a building in Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. The escalation of tensions comes a few days after wireless communication devices exploded across Lebanon, killing 37 people and injuring nearly 3 000.