SINGAPORE - Former president Halimah Yacob on Feb 26 called for the world to “stand on the side of humanity”, questioning the morality of the ongoing situation in Gaza as the Palestinian death toll reaches almost 30,000.
In a Facebook post, Madam Halimah highlighted the dithering on efforts to reach a ceasefire, stating that “international laws and international bodies are rendered irrelevant”.
“The consensus built after the horrors of WW 2 (World War II), to protect the innocents during wars, has been severely compromised. The world is forever changed,” she said.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam shared Madam Halimah’s post on his Facebook page with a single sentence: “Our ex-president Madam Halimah has spoken powerfully, and I agree with her.”
Madam Halimah had previously published similar posts on Facebook calling for intervention, and questioned the effectiveness of international law in months prior.
In her Feb 26 post, she also noted the death toll – made up mostly of women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry – as well as the destruction of hospitals, homes, power grids, schools, roads and other civilian infrastructure.
“There’s nowhere to go. They are bombed from the land, sea and air in Rafah in southern Gaza. Earlier, they were told to leave northern Gaza, which they did, only to be killed later.”
Madam Halimah lamented the “degradation of the human soul”, listing anecdotes of Israel Defence Forces soldiers revelling amid the destruction, and proud public declarations of “grandmothers and mothers” that they would not allow aid to reach those in need, which include many children.
“Our natural instincts are to protect the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us. What’s happened to the human soul?” she asked.
“After this is over, will the same people be able to live with their consciences knowing that they contributed to the deaths and destruction of thousands of innocent lives?”
The post had garnered nearly 800 reactions and over 300 shares and comments at the time of publication of this article.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...b-on-gaza-situation-as-death-toll-nears-30000
