“I was waiting for words of empathy from the President of the Republic, about the 10,000 Palestinian civilians who died in Gaza and who were not involved in the conflict in any way,” Nabil Abuznaid emphasized during an interview with the RTP station.
Nabil Abuznaid added that he hoped to have a private conversation with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, but the government official’s comments were “made in front of the cameras.”
“I really wanted to hear words of empathy, I respect the President of the Republic and I had the feeling that he was going to tell me something about the misfortune of Palestinian civilians,” he insisted, adding that after the episode he did not the president had spoken. Portuguese head of state again.
During a visit to the Diplomatic Bazaar, in Lisbon’s Congress Center, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told the head of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Portugal on Friday that some Palestinians “should not have started this war with Israel” and advised them to be moderate. and peaceful.
When Nabil Abuznaid invoked “the 56-year occupation,” the head of state replied: “I know, but they shouldn’t have started it.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Saturday he was surprised by the “commotion” caused by his statements.
“I don’t even understand the fuss, I don’t understand it. It was the Palestinian ambassador who raised the issue, it was not me. He was the one who said the situation was very complicated and gave his reasons. My comment, I said: pay attention, it’s very moderation is important. And then he said it was a pity that this matter had to come from a certain side,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
On Sunday, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, speaking to journalists at a rally in favor of Palestine, next to the Palace of Belém, reiterated that “the Portuguese position is the same and will remain the same.”
“We stand and will stand firmly behind engineer Guterres and the position he has taken, which is the position of the United Nations, which we just voted for in the last resolution – in which there were 120 votes in favor, 47 abstentions and only 14 votes against – in which many EU countries, but Portugal, have always been on the side of the position, namely: there is the right to a Palestinian state,” he emphasized.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and wounding about 5,000, in addition to more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s retaliatory measures against the Gaza Strip began shortly afterwards, with cuts to food, water, electricity and fuel supplies and daily bombardments, followed by a ground offensive that completed the siege of Gaza City last Thursday.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which entered its 31st day today and continues to threaten to spread across the Middle East, has so far killed 10,022 people in the Gaza Strip, including more than 4,000 children, more than 25,400 injured and about 1.5 million displaced, according to the latest report from local authorities.
Source: DN
