NICOSIA, Monday, June 17, 2024 (WWAFA) - Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Ramzi Khouri, met with Archbishop Georgios III of Cyprus, during an official visit to Cyprus.
At the outset of the meeting, Khouri conveyed warm greetings from President Mahmoud Abbas to the Archbishop.
He briefed the Archbishop on the catastrophic situation in Gaza as a result of Israel’s genocidal war, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, including residential buildings, hospitals, schools and community centers.
Khouri highlighted the dire situation faced by two million Palestinians in Gaza, who are threatened by an intentional and deliberate policy of starvation, due to the Israeli blockade and prevention of humanitarian and food aid from entering Gaza. He also pointed out the severe health situation caused by the critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies, endangering those with chronic illnesses and the wounded.
He also addressed the violent attacks carried out by colonial gangs in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, the systematic and continuous assaults on Muslim and Christian holy sites, and the daily Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities and towns.
Khouri emphasized that the international community is facing an extremist and racist Israeli government that is not interested in achieving a just peace based on international legitimacy.
During the meeting, Khouri called for urgent action to end Israel’s brutal aggression on Gaza, save the lives of children, women and civilians, and to allow the entry of humanitarian and medical aid.
He expressed deep gratitude for the Archbishop’s generosity in granting a piece of land to build a Palestinian embassy and an ambassador’s residence in Nicosia. He invited him to lay the foundation stone together once the architectural plans were finalized.
For his part, Archbishop Georgios III affirmed the Palestinian people’s right to a safe and stable life, stating, “We stand in solidarity with you and share in your suffering. Our demands go beyond a ceasefire and the entry of aid; we call for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
Khouri was accompanied by the member of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Amira Hanania, and Palestine’s ambassador to Cyprus, Abdullah Attari.
T.R.
