United Nations, May 21, 2024.- Cuba demanded this Tuesday respect for Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict in Gaza, demanding that the UN Security Council fulfill its mandate for peace. The island's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón, called on the 15-member body not to remain inert in the face of the ongoing massacre and on the international community not to stop its demand to stop the Israeli offensive.
When speaking at the open debate convened on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, the Cuban ambassador reiterated his demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the illegally occupied territories.
Furthermore, he demanded the end of collective punishment, war crimes and crimes against humanity that are committed with impunity by Israel, with the complicity of the United States government.
Soberón called for stopping the forced displacement of Palestinians from the land that rightfully belongs to them.
“The provision of urgent and sufficient humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people must be guaranteed,” he further urged.
In this effort, the representative called to support the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa). The ambassador urged to consider the urgent sending to the Gaza Strip of an International Protection Mission, authorized by the UN General Assembly, to contribute to the security and protection of the civilian population and facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid. including water and food.
The root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be addressed without delay, he added, insisting on the need to guarantee the accession of the State of Palestine as a full member of the UN.
At the same time, he considered it urgent for the Security Council to comply with its own resolutions to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and guarantee the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to have a Independent and sovereign state.
(Cubaminrex-Permanent Mission of Cuba to the UN)