The UN Security Council held a session today on the situation in the Middle East, focusing on the deteriorating conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories due to the accelerated pace of Israeli settlement expansion.

Palestine’s permanent representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, affirmed that the world must stand with the Palestinian people against occupation and daily violations to ensure a safe and dignified future for all Palestinians. He emphasized that the genocide, death, destruction, annexation, settlement, and displacement suffered by Palestinians are direct results of Israel’s systematic policies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause.

In his speech before the Security Council, Mansour explained that the New York Declaration, endorsed by 142 countries, constitutes a roadmap to end the war and achieve an independent sovereign Palestinian state. He called for turning this declaration from words into tangible reality that guarantees the protection of Palestinian civilians and enforces respect for international law.

Mansour pointed out that attempts to deny Palestinians’ rights and presence on the land continue, aiming to deny the blood of the Palestinian people and violate their fundamental human rights. He highlighted the grim reality of life in Palestine under occupation, stating that this daily tragedy is unacceptable and cannot be ignored.

Meanwhile, UN Deputy Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, stated that Israeli settlement is a blatant violation of international law, systematically reducing the area of the Palestinian state and entrenching the occupation. He warned of the great danger of proceeding with the E1 settlement plan east of occupied Jerusalem, which would separate the northern West Bank from the south, undermining the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state and increasing the risk of forced displacement.

Widespread International Condemnation of Israeli Settlements and Occupation Violations

Algeria’s representative called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take urgent measures to protect Palestinians, provide humanitarian aid, and activate all relevant international resolutions, including Resolution 2334, which demands Israel halt settlement activity in the West Bank including East Jerusalem and declares Israeli settlements in occupied territories since 1967 illegal.

The Algerian delegate stressed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state, noting that Israeli settlement and shrinking Palestinian territories threaten the prospects for a two-state solution and increase tensions and instability in the region.

Pakistan’s representative stated that the continued Israeli occupation and violations of Palestinian rights pose a direct threat to regional and global peace and security. He affirmed his country’s full support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state according to international law.

He emphasized the need to strengthen peace efforts and provide protection for Palestinians, calling on the international community to act decisively to compel Israel to stop its violations, end the occupation, and achieve the two-state solution.

Britain’s delegate called on Israel to stop settlement expansion in the Palestinian territories, stressing that “annexation of the West Bank cannot be allowed,” and demanded opening humanitarian crossings without restrictions.

France’s delegate described the approval of the Israeli E1 settlement plan as a severe blow to the two-state solution, confirming her country’s readiness to increase pressure on Israel to stop the war in Gaza.

Russia’s representative pointed out that Israel flagrantly violates UN Resolution 2334, considering settlers’ violations against Palestinians and Israel’s revival of the E1 settlement plan a direct threat to the possibility of achieving the two-state solution.

China’s delegate affirmed the necessity to end settlement policies and the war on Gaza, and to stop Israel from using humanitarian aid as a weapon against Palestinians. She stressed that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state represents the “inalienable national right of the Palestinian people,” condemning the ongoing Israeli violations of international law.

In this context, representatives from Denmark, Guyana, Somalia, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia called for stronger Security Council resolutions to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against Palestinians, affirming that lasting peace “will remain elusive unless Palestinian aspirations for statehood are met.”

Today’s Security Council meeting comes at the conclusion of the high-level session of the UN General Assembly, confirming broad international consensus rejecting occupation and settlement, and the urgent need to achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution.