Mr. President:
We support the statements made by Uganda, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement; Venezuela, on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations; and Nicaragua, in its capacity as Vice Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
The Middle East region is undergoing a period of profound instability as a result of the application of the US doctrine of peace through strength, which undermines multilateralism. The genocide of an entire people, protracted conflicts, occupations, and unilateral actions against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States of the region constitute an affront to peace and a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, which seriously threaten international security.
For decades, the United States’ historic complicity and its unrestricted political, diplomatic, military and financial support for Israel, have pursued a criminal and annexationist policy, in flagrant violation of multiple resolutions of this Council on the Palestinian issue.
Israel's attacks on the civilian population and essential infrastructure in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which have deprived the Palestinian people of the most basic services for life, hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, and used hunger as a weapon of war, constitute crimes against humanity, apartheid, and genocide, for which Israel must be held accountable.
With a despicable attitude, Israel continues to violate the ceasefire. In November 2025, following the signing of a belated and fragile Peace Plan, the Occupying Power carried out military raids in the northern West Bank, leaving several people wounded and hundreds detained. These events are not isolated; they are part of a systematic strategy of occupation, colonization, and collective punishment by the Zionist regime to prevent, by force, the establishment and recognition of the independent State of Palestine.
We condemn Israel's declaration of the provisional ceasefire line, known as the “yellow line,” as the new border between Gaza and Israel, which constitutes a further violation of the Peace Plan and international law. At the same time, we demand the withdrawal of Israeli occupation troops from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
We strongly condemn the attack carried out by Israel on January 20, 2026, against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities and staff in East Jerusalem. This action hinders the provision of vital assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees. Attacking humanitarian workers and UN institutions is unacceptable and undermines their vital work, exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population.
Mr. President:
Cuba reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to an independent and sovereign State, based on the two-State solution, within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and guaranteeing the right of return of refugees.
We urge the immediate admission of Palestine as a full Member State of the United Nations. Doing so is the first step toward advancing the long-awaited two-state solution.
Mr. President:
Israel's policies of aggression, aimed at reconfiguring the Middle East by force, perpetuate the cycle of violence and insecurity in the region.
Cuba condemns Israel's territorial usurpation in southern Lebanon through the construction of illegal walls that restrict access to Lebanese land and the continued targeted killings of prominent figures in the country, in flagrant violation of international law, which constitutes an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that nation.
We also join the African Union and other regional and sub-regional organizations in rejecting Israel's unilateral action against the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia. This new aggression creates regional and international instability, may have profound implications for peace, and highlights Israel's double standards in continuing to prevent the recognition of Palestine as an independent state.
Israel's total and unconditional withdrawal from the Syrian Golan, a territory recognized as an integral part of Syria, and from all occupied Arab territories is urgently needed.
We call for the avoidance of irresponsible aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we strongly oppose the use or threat of force in international relations. We reaffirm that true peace can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiation between equals, free from threats, pressure or coercion.
A just and lasting peace in the Middle East will not be possible without a comprehensive and definitive solution to the Palestinian issue. The international community must act firmly and decisively.
The defense of the Charter of the United Nations must guide every action of the Security Council if it is to fulfill the founding objectives of this organization. Impunity cannot prevail.
Thank you very much