UN Arab Group: Lasting peace in West Asia impossible without ending Israeli occupation

Parstoday – The Arab Group at the United Nations, emphasizing the need to uphold the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, said that achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in West Asia is impossible without ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state.

According to Parstoday, citing IRIB, Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday night on the situation in West Asia and Palestine, reaffirmed Arab countries’ support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

She said: “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination must be upheld, and the growing number of countries recognizing the State of Palestine is a positive step toward realizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

The representative of the Arab Group also condemned Israel’s grave and continued violations across the occupied Palestinian territories, including its opposition to a comprehensive settlement and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

During the meeting, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority’s representative to the United Nations, described Israel’s efforts to expand settlements and annex Palestinian territories as a direct threat to the existence of the Palestinian state. He said Israel is moving toward the destruction of the Palestinian state and eliminating any prospect of a political solution by implementing these plans.

He stressed the need to implement Security Council resolutions supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, saying: “West Asia is not condemned to perpetual war, and with joint action by countries, a different future for the region is possible.”

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, also pointed to the fragility of the ceasefire in Gaza and called for immediate attention to the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people.

He said: “Addressing the dire conditions facing the people of Gaza is of fundamental importance, as Palestinians in the region are losing hope.”

Alakbarov added: “Large parts of the Gaza Strip continue to face severe restrictions on access, and the delivery of humanitarian aid falls far short of the extensive needs of the Palestinian people. This situation is unacceptable.”