Dear President,
My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations.
Madam President,
The collective punishment that the Palestinian people have endured at the hands of Israel is an act of unparalleled cruelty and inhumanity. They are a brother people who have been a victim of more than 75 years of colonial occupation and flagrant violations of their legitimate rights as a nation. They have been subjected to aggression, crimes against humanity, and apartheid.
Israel's contempt and disrespect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and international humanitarian law is clear.
Decades of Israel's illegal colonization policies and practices in the Palestinian territories, including the Israeli apartheid system, have resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian situation for Palestinians. They continue to be deprived of access to essential services, food, medicine, and electricity. Even infant formula and humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable people in the Gaza Strip are being blocked.
Israel is violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement with impunity. Since the agreement was signed, more than 240 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Israel must comply with the terms of the ceasefire agreement and allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip freely and unrestrictedly.
We reject Israel's ban on UNRWA activities in the territory and on contacts with its authorities, and we reiterate our support for the agency’s essential work.
We also denounce the Israeli military incursions in the northern West Bank that have left several people wounded and hundreds detained. Cuba reaffirms its strong condemnation of the genocidal, extermination, and ethnic cleansing carried out by the occupying power, which enjoys the permanent political, military, and financial support and impunity guaranteed by the United States government.
Over the past two years, more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed. More than one million people have been displaced. The number of wounded has risen to over 170,000 in a deliberately destroyed health system. In the Gaza Strip, over 70% of the victims are children and women.
Israel insists on controlling and destroying the Palestinian territory and exterminating its population in order to prevent the establishment and recognition of an independent State of Palestine by force.
Cuba reaffirms its full support for the immediate and unconditional admission of Palestine as a full member of this organization. If the Security Council persists in imposing itself as an obstacle to that aspiration by remaining powerless in the face of the abusive use of the irritating privilege of the veto, then this General Assembly, as the most universal and representative body of the international community, must unequivocally declare that right and single out those who prevent it with the utmost political rigor.
It is unfair that Palestine continues to wait to become a full member of the United Nations when Israel did so more than 76 years ago by virtue of a resolution providing for the creation of two states.
We will continue to demand a two-state solution that allows the Palestinian people to have an independent and sovereign state within the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital; a solution that guarantee the right of return for refugees and their inalienable right to self-determination, which are indispensable premises for resolving this protracted conflict.
We reiterate that any ongoing initiative to end the conflict must not, under any circumstances, violate the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and to exist as an independent and sovereign state. It must not ignore or minimize Palestinian ownership, nor deviate from the ultimate goal of achieving comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians.
Madam President,
At the same time, impunity persists in the face of Israel's aggression against other Middle Eastern countries such as including Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen. The violation of Qatar's sovereignty, a country that has played a constructive role in mediation efforts in Gaza, is yet another example of Israel's aggressiveness and expansionist policy.
We also condemn Israel's new and continued attacks against Lebanon, which violate the ceasefire agreement and international law. The Zionist regime must respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.
Israel's illegal military occupation of the Syrian Golan for over 50 years is unacceptable. Despite sustained calls from the international community to end the imposition of Israeli laws, jurisdiction, and administration over this territory, the occupation continues.
Attempting to reconfigure the Middle East by force flagrantly violates international law and the UN Charter, perpetuating the cycle of violence and insecurity in the region.
We must act now to change the course of history, put an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people, and stop the attacks on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional nations and the impunity of the occupying power. By doing so, we will contribute to achieving peace and regional stability in the Middle East.
Thank you