Hundreds of people gathered in the centre of Nicosia on Friday afternoon for a peaceful demonstration against the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Palestine. Cypriots, Palestinians, and people of various nationalities responded to the call by the Cyprus Peace Council (CPC), joined by the Palestinian Ambassador in Nicosia, Abdallah Attari, and General Secretary of left-wing AKEL Stefanos Stefanou, along with mayors and members of the parliament and gathered at Elftheria square. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans demanding an end to the violence and freedom for Palestine. Addressing the rally Haris Pashias, the General Secretary of the CPC, stressed that “atrocities against civilians and children cannot be tolerated,” and that “there is no room for any war crimes.” He further said that “every act of killing or abduction of civilians constitutes a war crime” and went on to denounce both the extensive lethal assaults by the Israeli military and the terrorist activities carried out by Hamas, including the killings and abductions of innocent civilians. Pashias also highlighted the significance of international intervention, echoing the UN Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire and the need to allow international humanitarian aid into Gaza. He urged the international community, particularly EU member states, to respond to these demands. He insisted that the only solution to the Palestinian issue is the end of the occupation, settlements, the return of refugees, and the recognition of an independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Pashias also expressed disappointment over the stance of the Cypriot government, which, despite its own experience of being a semi-occupied country, has chosen to cooperate with Israel, even as it defies international law. He called for a halt to military agreements and collaborations with Israel, which undermine the rights of the Palestinian people. In closing, he drew parallels between the struggles of the Cypriot and Palestinian people against imperialism and offered his solidarity to the just cause of the Palestinian people. Palestinian Ambassador Abdalla Attari also addressed the crowd, noting the shared values and future of the Cypriot and Palestinian peoples. He pledged to continue their struggle and support other oppressed nations.
Source: Cyprus News Agency