Roey Gilad
The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Roey Gilad, has called on the Government of Ghana to use its influence to persuade Hamas to comply with the ceasefire deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to end the conflict in Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference at the Israeli Embassy, the Ambassador stated that just as Ghana criticised Israel, the country is equally expected to use its strong voice in Africa, through ECOWAS and the AU, to call on Hamas to respect the terms of the deal.
“Given Ghana’s influential position in Africa, particularly within the African Union (AU), we expect Ghana to leverage its voice through ECOWAS and the AU to join the international community, in urging Hamas to comply with the agreement.
“Ghana should clearly support the agreement while also calling on Hamas to disarm and respect their commitments, as Hamas’s involvement in Gaza’s future is not envisaged by either Israel or the agreement,” he said.
The Israeli Ambassador stressed that the future of the Palestinian people takes precedence over Hamas’ interests. He said Hamas must disarm and honour its commitments, similar to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)’s disarmament in Ireland 20 years ago, to pave the way for peace in Gaza.
“We expect and hope that Ghana, as a peace-loving state that respects democracy and stability, will sound a clear call to Hamas to disarm and respect the agreement they signed. Hamas should not have a role in the future of Gaza. The future of Gaza should be in the hands of innocent Palestinians who want to live alongside Israel, not instead of Israel,” he said.
The Israeli Ambassador stated that Ghana’s Foreign Minister adopted a UN report accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, which he believes is inaccurate.
“It was premature for the Minister to adopt the report without thorough scrutiny, given its serious allegations and the term’s historical significance stemming from the Holocaust,” he said.
“While we acknowledge the tragic events in Gaza, the issue at hand is determining responsibility, not comparing scales of tragedy,” he added.
The Ambassador stated that the Minister for Foreign Affairs’ decision to adopt the report was a mistake, but the matter is being addressed.
He added that government did not send a representative to the second memorial ceremony for the October 7th massacre, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs later issued an official apology, attributing the absence to a “bureaucratic administrative blunder.”
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke