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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

ZIMBABWE has donated an additional US$500 000 to the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Zimbabwe to support the people of Palestine who are suffering in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Last December, Zimbabwe handed over a donation of US$35 000 as a complementary of another donation that was sent to the State of Palestine through the United Nations to help the Palestinian people.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador Fredrick Shava said Government saw it fit to extend a donation of cash to the Embassy of the State of Palestine to assist the country in their time of need.

“We know that there is need for relief, food and medical relief and so on,” he said.

“With respect to relief in food supplies, Zimbabwe would like to make a contribution of food and medicinal supplies. In this regard, I am glad to say that the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has authorised Government to contribute an amount of money specifically for use in Gaza and to assist the suffering population that is in the Gaza Strip.

“The President (Mnangagwa) has authorised an amount of US$500 000 and we are happy to say that the United Nations Relief Fund will today give you a symbolic cheque while the actual US$500 000 is being transmitted to our office in New York for onward handover to the UN for Gaza. We are specifying that this is for Gaza and this is really why I thought we should meet and do this symbolic gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza.”

Minister Shava said they were saddened by the continued suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and they hope that this will be resolved sooner than later.

He said Zimbabwe was playing its part especially in the relief that is provided to the Gaza population who are under stress.

“I want to take this opportunity to express Zimbabwe’s sadness about the ongoing devastation of the Gaza Strip by Israel and to say that Zimbabwe condemns these atrocities unreservedly.

” We are also unhappy that the Israelis are not taking any hit of restraining themselves even from their own supporters like the Americans, the British and Canadians when they try to restrain them they seem to defy their own supporters as we saw in recent events in the Gaza Strip. But we are happy that the South Africans made this initiative to the ICJ and we are happy that the ICJ made a ruling that was supposed to bring Israel to its senses which they did not.

“We are conscious as to the way forward ourselves in Zimbabwe that the solution lies in the two-state solution but the two-state solution is a far-fetched idea unless there is willingness on both sides to create such a condition. But with respect to the position of Zimbabwe and its understanding and appreciation of the situation, we are aware that the hardships that the residents of Gaza are suffering is a situation which the whole world, not just Zimbabwe, should respond to in order to alleviate the suffering.”

Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri said the position and the support of Zimbabwe was highly appreciated.

“Zimbabwe is close to Palestine, not only in the past struggle, but also in the current situation. Both countries, Palestine and Zimbabwe, are suffering from the collective punishment. We are suffering from the last apartheid regime that you suffered before 1980, and you succeeded to end it by your struggle and your blood and your sacrifice, and you are suffering nowadays from these sanctions, which we consider it a kind of the collective punishment and actually this is our position, and we announce it all the time and in every situation.

“The donation of half a million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), will make the Palestinian people happy and will be highly appreciated. We will notice that it doesn’t come from a normal country. It comes from a country which is under sanctions, which is close to a siege, and this message, warm message of solidarity, will reach every Palestinian child, especially in Gaza Strip, and every Palestinian woman.”