Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Muslim groups have staged a peaceful procession, urging an immediate ceasefire in the war-hit city of Gaza.

Muslims, in their hundreds, gathered at Dawah Centre at Ijesha area of Lagos on Thursday, where they offered prayers for enduring peace in the Middle East.

Addressing a larger crowd of Muslim faithful, the Director of Muslim Awareness International (MAI), Abdulwaheed Atoyebi appealed to the international community to uphold previous United Nations agreements on the lung-running Israel-Palestine crisis.

Atoyebi lamented that the UN Resolution of 1947, which granted independence to both Israel and Palestine, has not been accomplished.

According to him, the illegal occupation of Gaza and the repeated intimidation of Palestinians by Israeli forces may have provoked Hamas to respond.

He called on the Nigerian government to take sincere steps to end the crisis and expressed solidarity with Palestine.

Also speaking at the gathering, the Amir (President) of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, Mr Kamoldeen Abiona noted that the current situation in Palestine demands urgent attention and action.

He stated, “the indiscriminate attacks on Gaza have resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, with thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, losing their lives or suffering severe injuries.”

“The destruction of crucial civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and residential buildings, further exacerbates the already dire living conditions for Palestinians.”

A legal practitioner, Tajudeen Balogun, who also addressed Muslims at the gathering, said it is disheartening that 225 resolutions have been passed on the crisis without implementation.

According to him, this contrasts with the situation in Iraq, where the United States claimed weapons of mass destruction, but found none.

Balogun emphasised that the events in Gaza over the past 75 years amount to a violation of human rights.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said the Hamas’ attack on Israel occurred because the Palestinian people have been pushed to the wall.

The Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement, called for an immediate ceasefire, urging the global community to address the root of the Palestinian question.

He stated, “Considering the heavy toll on both sides, MURIC calls for an immediate ceasefire. We demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor by Israel in obedience to the United Nations’ call and the appeal made yesterday by the European Union. War is a monster. It makes beasts of men.”

Akintola described ongoing bombardment of Palestine and the blockade of Gaza by Israel as a mere continuation of Israel’s genocidal and apartheid proclivity.

He stated, “MURIC wishes to put the crisis in its proper perspective in view of several false and misleading narratives being pushed to the front burner. This began with the allocation of a larger portion of Palestinian land to Israel in 1947 by the United Nations (UN) which was immediately followed by Israel’s belligerent, expansionist and apartheid policies which have left the Palestinians with only a fraction of the land which belonged to them ab initio.

“The UN failed to secure autonomy for Palestine. Only Israel is recognized as a state. The Palestinians have no freedom of movement. Their infrastructure, water, electricity, etc are controlled by Israel and the latter has the power of life and death over every Palestinian citizen. Extra-judicial killing at the hands of Israel is rampant while arbitrary arrests, demolition of Palestinian homes are the order of the day.

“The desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque which is the third holy place of Islam is equally at the root of the crisis. It was these provocations, the acts of injustice and the constant violation of Allah-given fundamental human rights that pushed the Palestinians to the wall.

“Saturday’s attack was therefore mere smoke and since there is no smoke without fire, objective people must look beyond the smoke and ask for what actually caused it.

“We reject the notion that Hamas or the Palestinians are terrorists. These are people fighting for their rights. They are freedom fighters. They are out to liberate their people.

“They are seeking justice, equal rights and a dignifying existence for every Palestinian. We identify with these noble goals and we assert that justice is the soul of peace. No one can deny one and still enjoy the other.” (Vanguard: Text, Excluding Headline)

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