The GCC countries express their deep concern over the worsening conditions of the Palestinian people due to the brutal Israeli military aggression on Gaza.
New York – October 31, 2024
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries expressed their deep concern over the worsening conditions of the Palestinian people due to the ongoing brutal Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip. They condemned the prolonged Israeli military occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories and its negative impacts on the social and economic development and living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to the Arab inhabitants in the occupied Syrian Golan.
This was stated in a statement delivered by Mr. Talal Abdulaziz Al-Naama, Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, on behalf of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, regarding item (59) on the "Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources," before the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly during its 79th session, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The GCC countries clarified that the report presented before the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly highlighted aspects of the impact of the Israeli war on the living and humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of more than 40,000 individuals, most of whom were women and children, killed by the Israeli military machine in clear violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The GCC countries affirmed that children in the Gaza Strip are facing the catastrophic consequences of the war, including hunger, the spread of diseases, and high rates of malnutrition, in addition to the suffering of pregnant women and newborns from the lack of healthcare due to the destruction of hospitals and the cessation of healthcare centers.
They indicated that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) represents the main lifeline for millions of the Palestinian people residing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, noting that despite this, UNRWA suffers from a severe funding shortage, and it is essential that it receives political and financial support from member states.
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries reiterated their demand for an end to the Israeli occupation and the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.
They welcomed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed the illegality of Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation and settlements, the evacuation of settlers, compensation for the damage caused by the occupation, non-recognition of the Israeli occupation, and the non-provision of support to maintain the resulting situation. They also welcomed the adoption of the resolution of the resumed tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly (A/RES/ES-10/24), emphasizing the necessity of its implementation.