On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 to support people with disabilities Hamas Movement issued a statement on Friday hailing the heroic role of people with disabilities in the Palestinian resistance path against the occupation.
“This day comes while the suffering of our people with disabilities is aggravating as a result of the terror practiced by the Israeli occupation and colonial settlers against the Palestinian people at home and in the diaspora including killing displacing Palestinians and demolishing their homes and stealing their land” the Hamas statement read.
The Movement pointed out that so far this year the Israeli occupation killed three Palestinians with disabilities during its offensive on Gaza in May and a fourth one at the Qalandia military checkpoint northeast of Occupied Jerusalem. In light of the increasing crimes the Israeli occupation has brought the number of Palestinians with disabilities that it killed up to 50 it added.
Hamas underlined that the suffering of people with disabilities and their families has also exacerbated in all fields due to the 15-year unjust and illegal Israeli occupation siege on the Gaza Strip and the coronavirus pandemic.
“As we in Hamas feel proud to have a number of people of determination on our list for the general election which was canceled by the Palestinian Authority (PA) president and in a number of leadership posts we state the following:
In this regard the group salutes people with disabilities – people of determination – and reaffirm the Movement’s constant position in support of their rights given that they are an integral part of the Palestinian people; we believe in their strong role in contributing to society and their struggles for national liberation and an end to the occupation.”
Hamas also held the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for its crimes against the Palestinians particularly the persons with disabilities. “We call on international and humanitarian organizations to obligate the Israeli occupation to respect treaties and immediately cease its violations against all Palestinians with disabilities” it added.
The Movement urged the PA to enforce all laws granting persons with disabilities their rights offer them the services they need provide them and their families a decent life and immediately and retroactively resume their stipends cut by the Ramallah-based Ministry of Social Development.
Hamas also called on the Palestinian people the Arab and Muslim nations the free peoples of the world and international and humanitarian groups to launch a widespread global campaign to advocate for the issues of people with disabilities and defend their rights particularly those in Palestine who suffer aggression siege and displacement due to the racist Israeli occupation and work on setting up urgent plans and sustainable programs to offer them a decent life.
