PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Sunday hit out at Israel and its biggest benefactor the United States of America over “the continued butchering of innocent women and children” in Gaza.
Mugabe was addressing the 15 Heads of State attending the SADC 34th annual summit currently underway in the resort town of Victoria Falls. The veteran Zimbabwean leader took over as the regional bloc’s chair from Malawi’s Peter waMutharika.
“What is going on now is the most brutal demonstration of man’s inhumanity to man and is criminal for the world to keep silent in the wake of such crimes against humanity,” he said.
Visibly angry, Mugabe added: “The western world which claims high moral ground on issues of human rights and the sanctity of life have looked, with moral and academic indifference to the situation, while the Israeli army continues to butcher innocent women and children, all under the false guise of fighting terrorists.
According to the Palestinian embassy in Harare, at least 1,000 people have been killed over the past two months, the majority of them women and children, since Israel resumed the bombardment of Gaza following the abduction of two of its citizens.
Mugabe said it was criminal for the world to look away while the Palestinians are being killed.
“Is Israel that precious that it should be allowed to do this and not be stopped or is it on the assumption that these children will be terrorists tomorrow, or that these women will give birth to future terrorists?” he questioned.
“Zimbabwe is indebted to SADC for standing by us when sanctions, whose effect has been debilitating on both the economy and citizens, were placed on us.