Cuban MPs call for cessation of aggression against Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
30 Nov 2023 11:26

Cuban parliamentarians condemn the indiscriminate Israeli bombing of Gaza, which resulted in the death of thousands.

Cuba National Assembly in session - undated - (Cuba MoF)

Representatives in the National Assembly of the People's Power in Cuba called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to allow the unrestricted entry of urgent humanitarian aid.

A motion signed by several Cuban parliamentarians called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

They emphasized that the war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe for the residents of Gaza, who have been displaced from their houses and now face food insecurity and medical emergencies.

They condemned the Israeli aggression for having resulted in thousands of innocent civilian casualties due to the indiscriminate and continuous bombing.

The parliamentarians also emphasized the Palestinians' right to return to their lands, demanding full accountability for all war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Zionist occupation against the Palestinians.

The announcement affirmed the right of the people of Gaza and Palestine to live in peace and security, adding that the world cannot remain indifferent to Israeli crimes and this senseless war, while the Palestinian people suffer on a daily basis.

In a statement to Al Mayadeen, MP Fernando Gonzalez Gort, President of the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (ICAP), affirmed that the cause of the Palestinian people is very dear to Cuba and is a cause that his country has defended and will always defend. He emphasized that Palestinians have the right to return to their homeland and live peacefully and securely like any other people in the world.

On his part, Deputy Gerardo Hernandez, the National Coordinator of the Comités de Defensa de la Revolución, said the least Cubans can do on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is to express their support and solidarity and demand a cessation of hostilities, war, and violations committed against the Palestinian people so that Palestinians can live in peace.

Hernandez confirmed that the late leader Fidel Castro always expressed his personal support and the support of Cubans for the Palestinian cause.

He called for an end to the war and hostilities, stating that "Israel" must stop committing massacres and violations against the Palestinian people.

Last week, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel led a popular march of thousands of Cubans along the central Malecon street to express their support for the Palestinian cause and condemn the crimes of the Israeli occupation.

Invited by the Cuban Young Communist League, participants chanted slogans in support of the Palestinian people. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla took part in the march, as well as the Secretary-General of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba Ulises Guilarte, and the Palestinian Ambassador to Cuba Akram Samhan.

The #Cuban president participated in pro-#Palestine marches in front of the #US embassy in #Cuba where he chanted, "Long live the #Palestinian people's struggle."#GazaUnderAttack #GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/Wa1ZGowr0D
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 23, 2023

The Cuban Interior Ministry said on X that 100,000 people took part in the hour-long march. It was the biggest of several such pro-Palestinian rallies held in Cuba since the Israeli aggression on Gaza started on October 7.

The march passed by the US Embassy in Cuba, where some participants raised banners that read, "This embassy sponsors terrorism" and carried Palestinian flags.

During the march, Diaz-Canel was heard chanting, "Long live the Palestinian people's struggle."