Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has urged the government to find ways of repatriating Malawians who are currently in Israel after Saturday’s surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas led to escalation of conflict.
This comes as Hamas launched what analysts are calling one of the deadliest offensives that Israel has experienced in 50 years.
HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence said they know that some Malawians are in Israel, although he indicated that they are trying to establish the correct figure, such that it is important to bring them back home.
“We are calling upon the Government of Malawi to evacuate its citizens from Israel like other countries are doing,” Trapence said.
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HRDC’s call comes after head of the African Union Commission (AUC) appealed for an end to the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas.
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The chief, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called on both parties “to return, without preconditions, to the negotiating table to implement the principle of two States living side by side”.
“The chairperson further calls on the international community, and the major world powers in particular, to assume their responsibilities to impose peace and guarantee the rights of the two peoples,” Faki said.
The African Union has 55 member states.
One of the agriculture students from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who is on a cross-border exchange programme at one of the universities in Israel, Alexander Makanjira, who is also the team leader for about 99 students, has said they are safe in Israel as the war has not affected them.
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“We are all safe in Israel. Our place of residence is in the north of Israel, a bit far from the south and centre. I hope the situation will come back to normal soon,” Makanjira said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs spokesperson John Kabaghe has said that they are communicating with the Malawi diplomatic mission responsible for Israel.
“We are in touch with the mission covering Israel to provide the details,” he said.
According to Reuters news agency reports, more than 700 Israelis have been killed in what Hamas is calling Operation Al Aqsa Flood, with at least 490 Palestinians killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the total number of deaths, including those of foreign nationals, surpassed 1,200 as we went to press Monday.
Speaking to media organisations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country is at war.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday that they had struck more than 1,000 enemy targets in overnight and daytime attacks on Gaza.
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.
