Srinagar: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, saying that the people of Kashmir stand united in unwavering support of them amidst the ongoing violence in the conflict region.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was recently released from his house detention after four years, said the people of Kashmir shared a “deep hope” for the resolution of the conflict and an end to the profound human suffering it has caused.

The patron of the socio-religious amalgam Mutahida Majlis-e -Ulema while expressing grief at the loss of lives, including women and children in the latest escalation of war in Gaza and occupied territories of Palestine, said that its inhabitants have been “gravely wronged” and are suffering as a consequence of the conflict.

“The roots of this conflict are again in its colonial past in the decisions taken by the colonial masters while they ruled, the tragic impact of which is being suffered by the locals till date,” Umar said in a statement.

The continuous assault by Israel on the Gaza Strip entered its fifth day on Wednesday as over 1055 civilians, including 250 children, have been reportedly killed in the besieged territory that the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has termed ‘deeply distressing’. The fresh attack came after Hamas launched its operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”, storming the military installations and settler compounds outside Gaza, reportedly killing as many as 1200 Israelis.

Umar slammed the Israeli authorities, claiming that the people of Palestine were routinely targeted, including their women and even children killed. “Their homes are bombed and destroyed, and they are subjected to humiliation and surveillance all the time, their livelihood is dwindling,” he added.

Stating the Palestinians live in the world’s “largest open-air prison”, he accused the Israeli state of targeting the holy site of Masjid Al Aqsa, which he claimed caused pain and anger among Muslims.

“Christians and their holy places are also violated as millions of Palestinians are forced refugees, while their land is occupied by outside settlers. And with each passing decade, their land in their own country is shrinking for them,” the statement added.

Umar said sadly, no agreement or solution is honoured by Israel or acceptable to them instead, they have turned Palestine into a colony and are expanding their footprint both in Gaza and the West Bank by pursuing “settler colonialism”.

He added that all this was happening as the world has become apathetic and driven by their geo-economic interests. “The UN, too, has failed the Palestinians. So unless the conflict is addressed by the international community, giving justice to Palestinians,  its tragic offshoots will keep cropping up,’ he argued.

The leader, who has been named one of the World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims more than once, called for a just resolution of the conflict to be based on the accepted principle of the right of people on their land and freedom.

Other Kashmiri leaders, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, also expressed their support to the people of Palestine, calling for a resolution to the conflict for peace to prevail.

“Unfortunate that it takes such death & destruction for the world to awaken to the Israel- Palestinian conflict. The deafening silence is maintained year after year as innocent Palestinians are murdered and their homes destroyed. Today, just because the shoe on the other foot is pinching, the so-called democracies are outraged. This selective outrage is criminal, to say the least. Resolve Palestine so peace prevails,” she wrote on X earlier on Sunday.