Mr. President,
The Palestinian cause is more than just a pending political issue. It is a litmus test for the credibility of the multilateral system and the United Nations' ability to uphold the purposes and principles for which the organization was founded 80 years ago.
The Palestinian people have endured the most horrific crimes. Not only has Israel cruelly sought to deny Palestinians their inalienable right to self-determination, it has also been responsible for the extermination, ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, and apartheid that this noble people have suffered and continue to suffer.
In the Gaza Strip alone, Israeli aggression has resulted in more than 68,000 deaths and 170,000 injuries since October 2023. Seventy percent of these victims are children and women.
Israel's disregard for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law seems boundless. The country is attempting to exterminate the Palestinian population by depriving them of water, electricity, food, medicine, and fuel.
After two years of brutal genocide, a fragile and belated peace agreement has recently been reached, which the international community has welcomed in the hope that it will put an end to the barbarity. We must continue to demand a permanent ceasefire, which will ultimately be guaranteed by adopting concrete and comprehensive measures to achieve just and lasting peace.
Mr. President,
The fundamental premise for achieving the freedom and independence of the State of Palestine and ending the Israeli occupation requires respect for the self-determination of peoples and the sovereign equality of states, principles that Israel ignores.
The United States' historical complicity and its unrestricted political, diplomatic, military, and financial support have guaranteed the occupying power's impunity during decades of outrage against the Palestinian people.
A comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question is essential to achieving peace in the Middle East. We reaffirm the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to an independent, sovereign State based on the two-state solution, with a state established within the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. It must also guarantee the right of return for refugees.
The urgent withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces is necessary. All of Israel's illegal colonization policies and practices in Palestinian territories, including its apartheid system, must end.
We must increase our efforts and act decisively to provide an urgent and effective response to the critical humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, and put an end to the ongoing massacre of this noble people. Palestinians are deprived of the most basic human rights, including the fundamental right to life.
Israel must allow sufficient humanitarian aid to enter without conditions or restrictions and authorize the essential work of UNRWA.
We emphasize that any recovery and reconstruction plan must fulfill the Palestinian people's legitimate aspirations and guarantee their right of return and self-determination.
Admitting Palestine as a full member state of the UN is urgently needed. If the Security Council persists in imposing itself as an obstacle to this aspiration due to its inability to address the abuse of the veto privilege, the General Assembly, as the most universal and representative body of the international community, must unequivocally declare this right.
Mr. President,
Humanity owes an immeasurable debt to the Palestinian people. As we embark on the long-awaited path to peace and justice for Palestine, Cuba reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with your just cause.
Thank you