ADDIS ABABA: The “extermination” of the Palestinian people must end, the chairman of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said on Saturday as he launched the organization’s 39th summit.
“In the Middle East, Palestine and the suffering of its people also challenge our consciences. The extermination of this people must stop,” said Youssouf, who was elected to head the institution a year ago.
The Gaza Strip, a small territory surrounded by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea, has been under a very strict Israeli siege since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s deadly attack on October 7, 2023.
That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Since then, at least 71,667 Palestinians have been killed in the small coastal territory by Israel’s retaliatory military campaign, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
He also touched on the multiple conflicts raging in Africa.
“From Sudan to the Sahel, to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in Somalia and elsewhere, our people continue to pay the heavy price of instability,” Youssouf said.
The summit brings together heads of state from the 55 member states of the African Union over two days.
This year’s theme is water sanitation.
Extermination of Palestinians must stop: African Union chair
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Extermination of Palestinians must stop: African Union chair
UAE air defences intercept 12 ballistic missiles, 17 drones
DUBAI: UAE air defenses on Monday detected 15 ballistic missiles, of which 12 were destroyed, while 3 missiles fell into the sea, the ministry of defense said in a statement on ‘X’.
A total of 18 drones were also detected, with 17 intercepted, while 1 fell within the country’s territory.
Since the start of the Iranian attacks, 253 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 233 were destroyed, 18 fell into the sea, and 2 landed within the country.
A total of 1,440 Iranian drones have also been detected, of which 1,359 were intercepted, while 81 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.
These attacks resulted in 4 deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 117 people sustained minor injuries.
The Ministry of Defense affirmed that it remains fully prepared to deal with any threats and will respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country’s security, ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguarding its national interests and capabilities.
