Ghana Urged To Call For Ceasefire In Lebanon

The Lebanese Community in Ghana has appealed to Ghana to use its position as Chairman of the UN Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire to end the Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Saeid Fakhery, president of the Community, made the appeal at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday.

"As a member of the UN Security Council and Chairman of the Council for the month of August, we are calling on the government of Ghana to demand once more an immediate ceasefire to end this atrocious and inhuman act of barbaric violence meted out to innocent civilians in Lebanon".

Mr. Fakhery said the killings from the Israeli attacks were growing rapidly by the hour and the international community, including Ghana, must stand up and condemn them.

"As of now, more than 800 persons have been killed in Lebanon, more than 90 per cent of them unarmed and peaceful civilians, the majority of whom are women and children," he said, adding, "more than 1,000 persons have been wounded and more than 850,000 persons have been displaced and made refugees."

All school buildings in Lebanon are now being used as shelters for refugees and if immediate steps are not taken to halt the carnage, it could become disastrous for the people of Lebanon and humanity, he added.

He said the group was outraged by the continuing wanton bombardment of Lebanon by Israel which has not spared densely populated urban areas and other civilian targets such as the newly constructed international airport of Beirut, power stations, highways, bridges and hospitals.

The growing numbers of casualties, particularly among children and women, are very alarming, he said stressing that Israel was once again waging an open war against Lebanon and its people and entire families were being wiped out daily.

The Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Jad Alhasan, said the killings were tantamount to a heinous crime against humanity.

"The whole world now bears witness to the wanton brutalities of the onslaught that Israel has for the last three weeks been carrying methodically against Lebanon and the Lebanese, killing more than 900 civilians most of whom are buried under the rubble while fleeing for their lives".

He said the Lebanese government has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and proposed a peace plan that both Israel and the Lebanese government should follow to achieve lasting peace in the region.

Speaking at the function, the president of the Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana, Major Mohammed Easah, (rtd), urged Ghanaians to condemn the attacks on Lebanon by Israel, stressing that the attacks should not be seen as a war between Christians and Muslims, but rather a war against humanity.

"We are all human beings no matter the denomination, colour or race. This war must be brought to an end in the name of humanity and justice," he said.

The news conference was attended by more than 100 Lebanese in Ghana. Some of them were holding placards bearing inscriptions such as: "Spare infant lives, spare the history of mankind"; "An eye for an eye will make us blind"; "War crime is not self-defence"; "Stop the war, peace!"; "Stop the siege, long live justice" and "Stop the killing , break the silence."

Israel launched the attacks about three weeks ago after the Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon, refused to release two Israeli soldiers it kidnapped in southern Lebanon.