Without doubt though, the situation that is facing the Palestinian people is the worst of all. Every day for more than seven hundred days, we listen to the news to be informed how many Palestinians were killed in the Gaza in particular but on the West Bank of the Jordan and in East Jerusalem as well.

A genocide is being carried out in plain view of the whole world!

   At the time of writing, on the 710th day of the massacre some 65,000 persons were killed by bombs or bullets fired by the Israeli army. Of these 75% are women and children. All these killings were deliberate as it is clear that the intention of the Netanyahu regime is to kill every single person if they do not remove themselves from the Gaza and the West Bank.

   Many experts believe that the real number of dead are much higher than the known figure. Thousands are missing, believed to be under the mountain of rubble that is Gaza today. Hundreds have died from starvation and thousands more from injuries caused by the shootings and bombing of the population. At the same time starvation is taking even more lives.

   Some educated guesses believe that as much as six hundred and eighty thousand (680,000) is the real death toll.

   The massacre is both indiscriminate and targeted. So far, we know that 1581 heath workers are among the murdered, 252 journalists and 346 United Nations staff members are among the targeted killings.

   As we write these few lines, Gaza city is being flattened by Israel’s air force.

   The condition of existence is really horrible. Words are inadequate to describe the misery that Israel has visited on the Palestinians.

   Since October 7th, 2023, more than ten thousand Palestinians have been detained in the most horrific conditions. Those people are tortured and humiliated on a daily basis.

Some seventy-five of them have died at the hands of their jailers.

   Two years ago, no one would have thought that this could have been possible. Now we know that there seem to be no limits to the sufferings that some can inflict on others.    Now we know that it is made possible because of the system that we live under.

   Greed is the driving force behind today’s holocaust. Already plans exist to make Gaza another Nevada for the rich and idle. Human lives of the poor and oppressed to the master minds are cheap and expendable.

   The United Nations Committee have provided facts and figures to show the billions in profits that are being made on the blood and tears of the Palestinians by Western corporations.

    The United States and many European countries have given full support to Israel in the conduct of this Genocide. They are not merely complicit to the crimes of the fascists in West Jerusalem, but more partners in this open massacre.

   Some of the European countries are beginning to mutter some protests. However, many of them continue to profit from the killings.

   The US and others have even moved to repress their own people who take to the streets to protest the beastality of the Israeli regime.

   Brave civilians of the US and Europeans countries who take to the streets are confronted by heavily armed police and army personnel, many are beaten and detained. Students are being denied graduation and faced with expulsion from institutions of learning.

   United Nations personnel eg. Francesca Albanese are being sanctioned by the US for exposing what is happening in Palestine. Judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are faced with the same hostility.

   The mainstream Western media have been playing the role of support to Isreal. They are either not reporting the terrible sufferings of the poor, helpless people or they are distorting facts to justify the atrocity. They could teach Herr Goebbels a thing or two.

International law and institutions are being undermined and discredited. For instance, Iran has made a strong case for denying the International Energy Agency (IEA) from inspecting its nuclear facilities. They accuse officials of that body of spying for the US and Israel. That is how the names and addresses of their top scientists were known and executed by Israel’s bombings.

   In the Caribbean we must acknowledge the brave stance taken by Belize. That country is the only one in the region that has given tangible support to the suffering and struggling people of Palestine. It broke off diplomatic relations with Israel.

   And now finds itself under attack. We see Guatemala’s military on Belize’s border, even making incursions into one of CARICOM’s members territory.

   It would not be unreasonable to assume that Guatemala is being encouraged to harass Belize because of its bold stance against Israel. It fits the pattern of the US defence of Israel.

   Caricom leaders must not leave Belize to hang out in face of the aggression and provocation. We must take a stand to support the Government and people of Belize.

   At this session of the UN General Assembly, I wish to urge Caricom leaders to announce that the region will break relations with Israel! Anything less than this is being complicit.

   Let this 80th Anniversary session be remembered for the bold stance of Caricom to defend Human lives & Human Rights in Palestine!

Former President – Donald Ramotar