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Two decades on from the death of Palestinian political icon Yasser Arafat, the resistance leader’s nephew says the murderous events on October 7th last year and every day since could have been avoided
Yasser Arafat could have prevented the bloodshed in Gaza, his nephew has said 20 years on from his death today.
In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Nasser al-Kidwa said the Palestinian people desperately miss their charismatic leader. He also claimed the brutal war between Israel and Gaza could have been avoided, adding Arafat would never have let Hamas take such a violent grip on Palestine.
Following a visit to London to take part in peace talks, Al-Kidwa said Palestinians needed a man of Arafat’s political stature now. He added: “If my beloved Uncle Yasser had stayed alive for years longer, he could have prevented all this awful fighting and bloodshed.
“I miss him – more than ever. And I also am increasingly sure he could have saved us all. He could have stopped the violent Palestinians’ split between Hamas and his own Fatah group. That could have stopped Hamas gaining power, building its war capacities at the expense of our people, and, eventually, choosing to attack Israel on October 7th – with a disastrous result.”
Al-Kidwa, a former Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, is working alongside ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to try to find peace. The pair met Pope Francis at the Vatican on October 17 to discuss the crisis in Gaza.
Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 alongside Israeli leaders Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin “for efforts to create peace in the Middle East”.
Speaking on efforts to end the current war, Al-Kidwa said: “We need to put the past’s terrible legacy behind us. We need to save the disastrous situation by showing we are able to respect and trust each other.”
He added: “We need serious negotiations. The only solution is to find a way to get our two peoples living side by side. The problem for us is many Palestinians even now think we are winning. That is not true but it stops them from seeing the vital need to come to any form of terms with the Israelis. Neither side is winning.”
Al-Kidwa and Olmert told the Pope of their outline for peace ahead of a UK conference on October 27. Al-Kidwa said: “And I announced our proposals alongside Mr Olmert in a unique meeting in London – the first time I have ever attended a public event with Israelis.”
Arafat died suddenly on November 11, 2004, in a Paris hospital. Tens of thousands welcomed the return of his coffin to his destroyed compound in Ramallah in the West Bank for the burial after a state funeral in Egypt. There are still unanswered questions about the death of Arafat, who met former Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street in 2001.
Al-Kidwa said: “I’m still convinced my uncle did not die from natural causes. I’m also deeply disappointed the Palestinian Authority has not even named any individual suspect – after 20 years. This is not normal. It is highly suspicious.
“I think it’s strongly possible the Israelis are responsible for his death.
“They even twice said he should be eliminated. We think the killers poisoned him with polonium-210, the same stuff that killed Alexander Litvinenko in London.”
Bloody bombardment continues
Israeli strikes meanwhile killed dozens of people in Lebanon and Gaza today.
In northern Gaza, an attack on the Jabaliya refugee camp killed at least 17. Dr Fadel Naim, Director of the Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, said nine women were among the dead. The toll is likely to rise as rescue efforts continue, Dr Naim added.
Israel’s IDF forces said they had targeted a militant site in Jabaliya. A separate airstrike killed at least 20 in the Lebanese village of Aalmat, north of Beirut, far from any Hezbollah presence. Lebanon’s health ministry said a further six people were injured.
Another strike yesterday hit a house in Gaza City, killing Wael al-Khour, a Hamas government minister, his wife and three children.
Hundreds have been killed since the latest offensive began on October 6, and tens of thousands have fled to Gaza City. Experts monitoring Gaza said famine was imminent or ongoing in the north.
Ceasefire talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled all year.
Qatar, which has served as a key mediator with Hamas, said at the weekend that efforts would only resume when parties show their “willingness to end the brutal war”.
