European Council President António Costa emphasized on Monday the necessity of allowing Palestinian representatives to participate in international platforms.

This statement came during his remarks at the opening of the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, in response to Washington’s cancellation of visas for the Palestinian delegation ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On Friday, Washington announced the cancellation of visas for several Palestinian officials, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, preventing them from attending the UN General Assembly meetings scheduled for September. This move comes as several Western countries prepare to recognize the State of Palestine.

Costa said, “Palestinian representatives must be allowed to participate in the UN General Assembly and international conferences related to this (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict.”

He added, “We are witnessing a humanitarian disaster in Gaza that wounds the conscience of the world. The scale of suffering endured by civilians, especially children, is horrifying and unacceptable.”

Costa criticized the United States’ use of its veto power in the Security Council against a resolution proposed by Slovenia, which called for banning the use of starvation as a weapon in wars, despite the support of 14 members, describing it as “regrettable.”

He continued, “Israel’s right to self-defense cannot justify the indiscriminate destruction of civilian infrastructure or collective punishment of an entire people.”

He expressed concern over the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the ongoing forced displacement in Gaza.

He pointed out that these developments threaten the possibility of a viable future Palestinian state, weaken prospects for peace, and destabilize the region.

Costa recalled that since the start of the war, the European Union has provided more than 450 million euros in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, helping to keep hospitals, schools, and essential institutions operational.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starving, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.

This genocide has resulted in 63,557 Palestinian martyrs, 160,660 injured, most of whom are children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that killed 348 Palestinians including 127 children.