AU commission chair: Denying Palestinians their rights is cause of conflict between them and Israelis

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the commission of the African Union, says the denial of the fundamental rights of Palestinians is the reason for the conflict between them and the Israelis.

In the early hours of Saturday, the Palestinian Hamas militant group infiltrated Israel from the Gaza strip and took dozens of Israelis hostage.

The Israeli death toll from the attack has surpassed 100, with more than 200 killed in Israeli reprisal attacks in Gaza, as of late Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since declared the attack an “act of war”.

In a communique issued on Saturday, Mahamat said both sides should put an end to the conflict without conditions and return to the negotiation table.

“The Chairperson wishes to recall that denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension,” the communique reads.

“The Chairperson further calls on the international community, and the major world powers in particular, to assume their responsibilities to impose peace and guarantee the rights of the two peoples.”

Many world leaders and foreign governments, including Nigeria, have called for a de-escalation of the latest hostilities between both nations and an immediate ceasfire.