University professors in Kaduna, Nigeria, have called for an end to the violence between Israel and Palestine, condemning the ongoing conflict as a crime against humanity. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Resource Forum Islamic Movement Nigeria (IMN), Professors Abdullahi Danladi and Isa Hassan argued that the conflict had nothing to do with religion but was linked to the illegal occupation of Palestinian land. They called for the US and UK to intervene to bring about an end to the hostilities.
The professors claimed that the first occupants of Gaza and the West Bank were Palestinians, and that Israel had subsequently annexed parts of the land. They criticised the attacks on churches and hospitals perpetrated by the Israeli government, arguing that these were indicative of the conflict being a crime against humanity. Hassan highlighted that Palestine was given to Palestinians by God and warned that Israel was engaging in apartheid.
Danladi called on the Nigerian government to sever all ties with Israel due to the state’s failure to respect the sanctity of human life and the genocide it was committing in Gaza. The professors also noted that while the US and UK backed Israel in the conflict, many Jews opposed the violence and stood in solidarity with Palestinians.
The professors’ comments follow growing international condemnation of the violence in the Middle East. The African Union has called for an immediate cessation to hostilities, while the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, stated that Israel’s actions could amount to war crimes. Despite this, the conflict shows no signs of abating, as both sides continue to launch strikes and rocket attacks. At this stage, the death toll stands at well over 200, the vast majority of them Palestinian.