Maruf: I expect a quick signing of a ceasefire, as Israel cannot tolerate military casualties

Madžid Maruf, president of the Association "Palestinian Community in BiH", says in an interview with the Patria News Agency that he expects a quick signing of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, primarily because there have been military casualties on the Israeli side.

- I believe that a ceasefire agreement will be signed very soon, because the Israeli side cannot tolerate losses in its army, and it has been announced that 28 soldiers have been killed in Gaza. For them, that is too much, their airport in Tel Aviv is not even working, because the USA, Jordan, and EU countries have suspended flights due to compromised security – says Maruf.

He explains that Palestine has many casualties, but they are all civilians, because the Israelis do not choose their targets, they collectively punish Palestinians.

- But as soon as the first military casualties fall on the Israeli side, we see how Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, and John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, rush to Egypt to achieve a ceasefire. That is obvious, and unfortunately, we are just statistics to them, so many killed, so many destroyed – Maruf added.

Otherwise, Maruf welcomed Chile's decision to sever trade ties with Israel and called on the EU to do the same.

- That is the least they can do for Palestinian children and people. The situation is very difficult. It gets harder by the hour. They are running out of fuel, which they use for hospitals and for electricity supply. Operations for the wounded will no longer be possible if the fuel used to generate electricity runs out. Unfortunately, every Palestinian is a target for them. They bomb and drop bombs on civilians the most. They bombed three schools, and all of them were under UN protection – Maruf added.

Gaza is surrounded and there is no passage for the wounded to be evacuated. However, when the time comes, Maruf says he will ask for some of the wounded to be brought to BiH.

- We will wait for that, and when the agreement is signed, we will discuss the relocation of the wounded to BiH. We will launch an initiative through BiH institutions, and then we will see what can be done – Maruf added.