QCOSTARICA — On the first anniversary of the start of the most brutal offensive by the State of Israel against the Palestinian population, especially in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Costa Rican activists demonstrated in the streets, in the Legislative Assembly and at official events to demand a ceasefire and peace for the Palestinian people.
October 7 marked one year since Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel that killed 1,206 people, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures. Shortly afterward, Israel stormed into the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel and attacked hundreds of civilians, which unleashed a resurgence of the war activities that Israel has carried out against the Palestinian population since 1948.
Since then, and while images of bombings of urban areas, schools, hospitals and even refugee camps fill social media, at least 40,000 civilians have died, 10,000 more have disappeared and more than 80,000 have been injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. In addition, 2 million people have been displaced in the strip.
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As if this were not enough, there are already hundreds of dead, injured and displaced people in the West Bank and in recent days, more than 1,100 people died as a result of Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and more than 1.2 million have been displaced.
Faced with this reality, Costa Rican activists commemorated one year since the start of the offensive and insisted, as they have done throughout this time, on the urgency of the international community to force a ceasefire, to stop the arms trade to Israel and to withdraw Israeli troops from the illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
In a forum that took place in the morning in the Hall of Former Presidents of the Legislative Assembly, the honorary consul of Palestine in Costa Rica, Wajiha Sasa; the Frente Amplio (FA) legislator, Rocío Alfaro; and the activist Suy Wong led a conversation in front of dozens of people, where they denounced the atrocities committed by Israel in its war against Hamas and demanded a “dignified” position on the part of Costa Rica in the international forum.
“The Palestinian people are an integral part of humanity,” said Sasa, adding that in a genocidal context the Palestinians “have retained the hope of a free future.”
“The Palestinian people have remained faithful to their land, their roots and their identity, they have recognized themselves as subjects of inalienable rights despite the fact that they have been denied them (…) The Palestinians want to live, not survive, they want to be safe in their homes, they want their sons and daughters to go to school without fear, they want to be free!”, Sasa exclaimed.
Also in the morning, a protest took place in front of the Embassy of the United States of America in which dozens of people denounced their complicity with the reprehensible actions of Israel and also of the Costa Rican government, whose position in the conflict in question has been inconsistent with its tradition of respect for human rights, according to activists.
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In the evening, dozens of activists gathered with candles, flags, kufiyas (a traditional headdress worn by men from parts of the Middle East) and banners in front of the Legislative Assembly to once again denounce the actions that during this year have martyred – in the strictest sense of the word – thousands of Palestinians and to demand a definitive ceasefire.
One of the Costa Ricans attending the vigil, the daughter of Palestinian-Lebanese migrants, said she was there exercising her right to protest and her freedom of expression to raise her voice and say enough is enough of this situation.
“All human lives matter, and it is our duty to denounce oppression and demand justice. Costa Rica must cut relations with the state of Israel and pressure internationally to enforce the resolutions of the International Court of Justice that imposed precautionary measures on Israel because there is proven evidence that they are committing genocide. Today, also against the Lebanese people. Enough is enough!” said the young woman, and recalled that if the international community does not act, the human rights system that protects all people will be delegitimized.
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