Mr. President,
Your Excellencies the Ambassadors,
Every diplomatic effort and political action undertaken in our
meetings, various diplomatic corridors, and international forums to halt
the brutal war in the Gaza Strip may not match the magnitude of the
crime committed or the valour of the daily sacrifices made by
Palestinians, shedding their blood and that of their children. However,
it remains a necessary and imperative endeavour. This effort must
persist and intensify until the six-month-long bloodshed comes to an
end.
Global stances have evolved, gradually aligning with the unified
Arab position adopted from day one. This position is epitomised by the
recent Security Council resolution, which, for the first time, called
for an immediate ceasefire.
It is a belated awakening, and it does not absolve those who
remained silent for months of their responsibility for the shedding of
Palestinian blood by the occupation forces and the atrocities committed
in the Gaza Strip—bombings, killings, starvation, and displacements. It
is as though we have regressed to a time before international norms
distinguished between military and civilian targets, reverting to
lawlessness and inhumanity.
Just yesterday, the occupation forces callously killed seven relief
workers in the Gaza Strip. Many countries, previously viewing this
occupation as civilised—a notion inherently flawed—have now awakened to
witness a blatant and scandalous display of the indiscriminate,
ruthless, and inhumane manner in which it operates military operations
against Gaza's civilians. What occurred was not an isolated incident, as
Israel claims, but part of a recurring pattern. Nearly 200 aid workers
have been killed since the onset of operations, including 176 from UNRWA
alone. I fail to discern any difference between these individuals and
the tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians and children mercilessly
killed since the war began.
Our diplomatic efforts must persist in bringing an end to the war
and ensuring accountability for the crimes committed by Israel. We must
vigorously advocate in all diplomatic arenas and global forums to attain
a political framework for an independent Palestine. It is evident to
the world that the current status quo is neither sustainable nor
conducive to peace. The occupation cannot be deemed peaceful or
civilised. The establishment of an independent Palestinian state based
on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains the
sole path to peace in Palestine, Israel, and the broader region.
Thank you
