New Delhi, July 12: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Halt Aggression in Gaza

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the Israeli attack on Gaza. For the past five days, Gaza has been subjected to bombardment from the air and the sea, which is double the intensity of the genocidal attacks it had carried out in 2012. More than a 120 people have been killed including many children as the missiles have targeted residential areas.

There are reports that a ground invasion is imminent, with the Israeli PM Netanyahu arrogantly declaring that Israel would not heed to any international ‘pressure’. With Israeli artillery fire reported near the borders of Lebanon, there is great danger of the aggression spilling over to the entire region. The United States has to rein in its close ally from pursuing this dangerous course of action.

The excuses given by the Israeli government for the attack are tenuous. There can be no justification for this blatant aggression which is in contravention of all established international law.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon the government of India to strongly condemn this Israeli aggression on Palestine and demand an immediate cessation of the attack raising it in international fora. The UN Security Council should immediately intervene to halt the attack and end hostilities and work towards a solution that has denied the Palestinians their legitimate fundamental right for a homeland for 66 years.