During the High-Level International Conference on Implementing the Two-State Solution, which took place from July 28 to 30 at the United Nations Headquarters, Ambassador Yuri Ariel Gala López, the Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cuba to the United Nations, reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and denounced the violations committed by the occupying power.
The Cuban ambassador strongly denounced the systematic atrocities committed by Israel as the occupying power. He stated that Cuba has joined the vast majority of the international community in calling for decisive action to end one of the most prolonged injustices of our time. This injustice has been exacerbated over the past two years, during which Israel has committed crimes against humanity, collective punishment, apartheid, and genocide against the Palestinian people with impunity.
He recalled the high number of deaths, injuries, and displaced persons, as well as the destruction of hospitals, schools, mosques, and other civilian infrastructure, which constitute clear violations to the international humanitarian law and "confronts us with a painful reality that wounds the conscience of humanity," Gala López said.
He added that “the massacre in Gaza has caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis”, plunging the territory into terror, death, and massive destruction, where millions of civilians are trapped there, struggling against hunger, disease, and constant displacement.
The Cuban diplomat also pointed out that Israeli colonization practices persist, and that violence is spreading in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He stated that we cannot allow illegal settlements and repression to become normalized nor can we allow the irresponsible attempts to annex the territories it already occupies illegally.
The Cuban Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. said, "It is impossible to speak about the situation in Palestine without denouncing the historical complicity of the United States government," which is responsible for genocide by repeatedly using its veto right in the Security Council to prevent a ceasefire that would stop the massacre and enforce the international community's demands.
He emphasized the urgent need for concrete action in the UN Security Council to stop the ongoing genocide, enable the delivery of sufficient and unrestricted humanitarian aid, and ensure the vital work of UNRWA.
In turn, Ambassador Gala López recalled that more than 145 countries already recognize the State of Palestine. He stressed that Palestine's full admission as a Member State of the United Nations (UN) cannot be delayed any longer.
During his speech, the Ambassador reiterated Cuba's long-standing position in favor of a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the creation of two states that would allow the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to have a free and sovereign state within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the return of refugees, as indispensable premises for the resolution of the conflict.
He also stated that it is vital to begin reconstructing Gaza, create conditions for displaced persons to return, completely and unconditionally withdraw Israeli occupation forces, and comply with the provisions of the agreements reached between the parties.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Gala López said that justice for Palestine cannot wait any longer. "Let us act with the urgency that humanity and the Palestinian people demand as an unavoidable condition for achieving a just, lasting, and permanent peace in the Middle East," he said.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations