Dubai: The UAE on Wednesday condemned the collective punishment and forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, during the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Speaking at the UN meeting, Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State at the UAE Ministry of Foreign, said: “Double standards create chaos in our international system. We condemn in the strongest terms the policy of collective punishment against the Palestinians and we totally reject the forced displacement of Palestinians.”
Referring to the scenes of destruction in Gaza, Al Marar said: “The scenes of the complete destruction in Gaza are alarming.”
He said the current truce is “a sign of hope” and expressed hope that it would lead to a permanent ceasefire, voicing his appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Qatar, the US and Egypt in bringing about the pause.
Al Marar underlined the relevance of the UN chief’s briefing on progress made regarding aid, adding that it was vital to improve aid mechanisms “in a sustained manner and at sufficient scale.”
The recent events have demonstrated the need for the international community to stop merely managing this conflict, Al Marar said, adding: “We must work to revive hope for the possibility of reaching a just, lasting and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian issue.”
“Moving forward, a suitable environment must be created for resuming serious negotiations, based on the agreed upon references to achieve a two-State solution, so that these steps begin to be implemented immediately after a ceasefire is reached, he added.
The minister also underscored that achieving sustainable peace will not be possible without ending the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories and establishing an independent Palestinian state, based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in security, peace and mutual recognition.
