Any attempt to displace the Palestinian people within their territories or to neighboring countries for the third time in their history, under the pretext of protecting them or by any other claims, must be confronted with all resoluteness, Egypt warned Friday.
Our categorical rejection of such attempts must be emphasized, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations Osama Abdelkhalek told the tenth emergency session of the UN General Assembly.
The Egyptian representative thanked the UN for the call to hold the emergency session to discuss the tragic conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially after the failure of various repeated efforts aimed at issuing a Security Council resolution for known reasons.
How easy it would be for us to make a standard statement including a warning of the grave dangers of the ongoing conflict, in which we denounce the brutal Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, review the brutality of the move and its violation of all international laws and humanitarian values, and reiterate the call to protect the Palestinian people and ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid, Abdekhalek said.
However, how difficult it is to have to repeat all of the above before all the forums that discussed the crisis, most notably the Cairo Peace Summit, during which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted many world leaders in an attempt to get out of this crisis, then the open discussion in the UN Security Council, as well as bilateral contacts with all the influential international actors, despite our conviction that the truth is very clear and does not require repeated explanation or elaboration if we all used one standard that we all know not two ones, he added.
No to targeting civilians, terrorism, violating international humanitarian law, bombing hospitals and medical centers, killing children, siege and cutting off people’s essential needs for life, forced displacement and liquidation of human rights. All human beings are equal, the Egyptian representative said.
We have chosen the most difficult option: to devote our efforts and work to coming up with a clear position from the UN General Assembly regarding the violations and crimes against the Palestinian territories, so that we do not become a mute devil who has remained silent about the truth, according to the eloquent Arab proverb, at a time when many voices are blind to speaking the truth, he added.
Silence is no longer an option. What is happening to the people of Palestine should stop, Abdekhalek said.
The required position is clear and direct and does not go beyond emphasizing the simplest human values, the simplest principles of international law, and the simplest political and diplomatic norms in situations of armed conflict, he added.
It is self-evident that when tensions erupt and rounds of escalation occur, the international system must work to establish a ceasefire. This is not bias towards a party or support for terrorism but rather aims to spare innocent blood, prevent further escalation, and confirm the ability of the United Nations to play its role in preserving the most basic right in the Charter of Human Rights, which is the right to life. This is a right that has been forgotten by human rights zealots who, with the justifications we heard for the continuation of this war, have become directly complicit in the violations we are witnessing, the Egyptian representative said. “A ceasefire is needed. Is that difficult?”
Policies of siege, starvation, and deprivation of basic needs of food and medicine, including water, have no place in the twenty-first century, as they remind us of medieval practices. Therefore, the General Assembly must issue a clear and unambiguous message of the need for these necessities to enter the Gaza Strip without restrictions or conditions, as deprivation of humanitarian aid under these circumstances is nothing but a death sentence for the people of the enclave, he added. “Humanitarian aid is required through an organized and controlled mechanism supervised by the United Nations. Is that difficult?”
Any attempt to displace the Palestinian people within its territories or to neighboring countries for the third time in its history, under the pretext of protecting them or by any other claims, must be confronted with all resoluteness, and our categorical rejection of it must be emphasized, Abdekhalek said.
We can only point out what some politicians discussed here in the same hall in a similar emergency session, lamenting over rights that will be lost, while we see their understanding, and even consistency, with the forced displacement of the Palestinians to the countries of the region, and why not, they are accustomed to ignoring these people and overlooking their cause and rights for decades until we reached rock bottom, he added.
The Palestinian leadership has repeatedly insisted on providing international protection for its people under occupation, especially in light of the repeated violations of armed settler militias. Egypt is now demanding the activation of this protection, the Egyptian representative said.
Contrary to what supporters of killing women and children as well as imposing sieges and displacement, along with other supporters of the war, claim that it aims to combat and eradicate terrorism, the reality is that failure to take effective and immediate measures to stop this war will inevitably lead to fanning the fire of terrorism and pushing entire young generations into extremist thought, he warned.
If we fail to stop the ongoing war now, it could lead to a devastating regional conflict. In such a scenario, the countries that are hesitant to demand an end to the war will suffer more than others. It is crucial to take action before it’s too late to avoid any harm to the interests of the countries involved, the Egyptian representative said.
It is crucial to emerge from the crisis with a well-defined strategy to revive a meaningful peace process that tackles the underlying issues and results in the establishment of two states. Failure to do so would be a long-term mistake for which future generations will hold us accountable for our neglect and lack of foresight, he added.
Egypt, being the leading country in establishing peace in the region, will continue its tireless efforts to achieve a ceasefire, protect civilians, facilitate access to humanitarian aid, mediate the release of hostages and detainees, and pave the way for the resumption and revival of the peace process. This is the only viable way to establish peace and stability in the region., Abdelkhalek said.
In Egypt’s statement, he urged for the support of the draft resolution which aims to implement the principles of justice and fair standards. “The resolution is motivated by the need to stop killings, maintain international peace and security, and protect civilians.”
the Egyptian representative expressed hope that the adoption of this resolution would represent a starting point towards achieving peace in the Middle East.
“Stop this nonsense. Stop this war immediately. Support what is right. Vote for the resolution. Save peace. Is that difficult?” he concluded.
