“At least 67 children have been killed since the
ceasefire,” Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General
Assembly, said on Tuesday at an event to mark the
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian
People.
“The people in the occupied West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, also endured unspeakable hardship
amidst Israeli military operations, settler violence,
settlement expansion, evictions, and demolition,” underscored
Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet, speaking on behalf of
the UN Secretary-General.
The International Day is
observed annually on 29 November – the day in 1947 that the
UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on partitioning
Palestine into two independent States, one Arab and one
Jewish.
The UN stands by a simple truth: the
Palestinian people have the right to dignity, justice, and
self-determination, emphasised Mr. Rattray.
Lifesaving humanitarian aid still
needed
For millions of Palestinians, the UN agency
that assists Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, “remains a
lifeline,” he said.
The international community must
continue to support it, as the UN strives to reach the $4
billion target set by the Flash Appeal for the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, he added.
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The International Court of
Justice and the UN General Assembly have both affirmed
that the long-standing occupation of Palestinian territory
is illegal.
Gaza lies in ruins, with civilians —
including children and women — among the dead and injured.
Humanitarian workers and journalists have also been
affected. Meanwhile, attacks are increasingly targeting
Palestinian farmers in the West Bank as they attempt to
harvest their olive crops.
“Hope can become a
reality. Hope that two people — bound by history,
geography, and humanity — will live side by side in
peace.” said Mr. Rattray.
“On this
International Day of Solidarity, let us turn that hope into
action, and help the olive tree grow once
more.”
