Palestinians wanted in Gaza on Wednesday (November 6, 2024) Donald Trump, who won the US electionTo end the war between Israel and Hamas that has devastated their territory.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 offensive, has caused a terrible humanitarian toll in the Gaza Strip, displacing most of its residents, causing widespread hunger and death, and leaving hospitals struggling to cope.
“We have been displaced, killed… there is nothing left for us, we want peace,” said Mamdouh al-Jadba, who was displaced from Jabaliya in Gaza City.
“I hope Trump finds a solution, we need someone strong like Trump to end the war and save us, enough is enough God, that’s enough,” the 60-year-old said.
“I was displaced three times, my house was destroyed, my children are homeless in the south… There is nothing left, Gaza is gone.”
Umm Ahmed Harb, from the al-Shaaf area east of Gaza City, was also counting on Mr Trump to “stand by our side” and end the region’s suffering.
He said, “God willing the war will end, not for our sake but for the sake of our little children who are innocent, martyred and dying of hunger.”
“With the high prices (of food) we cannot buy anything. We are here in fear, terror and death.”
For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where violence has also increased since October last year, Mr Trump’s victory was a reason to fear for the future.
“Trump is firm in some decisions, but these decisions may serve Israel’s interests politically more than Palestinian interests,” said Samir Abu Jundi, a 60-year-old veteran of the city of Ramallah.
Another man who identified himself only by his surname, Abu Mohammed, said he saw no reason to believe that Mr Trump’s victory would favor the Palestinians, adding, “Nothing will change except more degradation “.
He said all US presidents are “in favor of the state of Israel”, the Palestinian from East Jerusalem told AFP,
The United States is Israel’s main political and military supporter and despite pressure for a ceasefire by President Joe Biden’s administration, there has been no decline in support.
Imad Fakhida, a school principal in the main West Bank city of Ramallah, said, “Trump’s return to power … will take us to hell and there will be an even greater and more difficult rise.”
He added, “He is known for his absolute and greatest support for Israel.”
‘We hope for peace’
During his first term in office, Mr Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights and helped normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states under the so-called Abraham Accords. of.
The agreement was condemned as “treason” by Palestinian leaders, who feared it could undermine their aspirations for a homeland, and it led to discontent within Hamas.
According to one, the war broke out after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians. AFP Israeli official figures tally.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.
During his campaign for a return to the White House, Mr Trump said Gaza, which is located on the eastern Mediterranean Sea, could be “better than Monaco”.
He also said he would have responded in the same manner as Israel did after the October 7 attack, while urging the US ally to “get the job done” because it was “losing a lot of support”.
More broadly he has promised to defuse growing international crises, even saying he could “stop a war with a telephone call”.
In Gaza, such statements gave reason for hope.
“We hope that with Trump there will be peace and the war will end because in his election campaign he said he wanted peace and called for a stop to the war on Gaza and the Middle East,” said Ibrahim Alian, 33, from Gaza City. “
Like many residents of the area, Elyan has been displaced several times due to fighting. He said that he also lost his father in the war.
“God willing, the war in the Gaza Strip will end and the situation will change,” he said.
published – November 06, 2024 09:22 PM IST