All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi accused Israel of occupying the “Palestinian land” for the past 80 years.
Owaisi’s statement comes amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israeli forces that has led to the death of nearly 5,600 people.
“The reality is that for the past 80 years, Israel has occupied the Palestinian land,” HT reported Owaisi as having said.
Palestine's Hamas militant forces entered Israel on October 7 using motor gliders, boats and trucks leading to one of the worst conflicts breaking between Israel and Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched heavy airstrikes and conducted ground invasions in Gaza as the war entered its 14th day.
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Israel cut food, electricity and water from the Gaza Strip until today. Aid deliveries from across the world began moving into Gaza through Egypt's Rafah border on Saturday.
“I would like to tell the people of our nation that Mahatma Gandhi had said that Palestine is the land of Arabs just like England is the land of the English and France is the land of the French,” Owaisi said.
He added that India has always supported the people of Palestine. “We always felt that Palestinians should have their own independent nation,” he said.
Days after the war began, Owaisi hailed Palestine and Gaza and condemned violence. While sharing a photo of Jerusalem's Al-Aqṣā Mosque in a post on X, Owaisi wrote, “Hands of GAZA, Falasteen Zindabad. Violence Murdabaad (done mainly by Israel or any Group/organisation). Masjid e Aqsa Aabad Rahe.”
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Speaking to news agency ANI, Owaisi said a week after the war, “The poor people of Gaza, with a population of 21 lakh, 10 lakh have been rendered homeless...The world is silent...For 70 years Israel has been an occupier...You cannot see the occupation, you cannot see the atrocities...”
The AIMIM MP had also shared former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's old video where he spoke in favour of the Palestinian cause. "A late BJP leader once said about Palestine that land worth billions has been acquired. We had released a post stamp for solidarity with Palestine. This shifted when Congress came into power," he said.
