±¬ÁÏÍø

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, in his poem Passports, wrote: ¡°My homeland is not a suitcase, and I am no traveler.¡±

This line, amongst many others, captures the plight of the Palestinian people in the wake of the Nakba, the displacement and dispossession of more than half a million Palestinians since 1948.

They were removed from their homes¡­
Their houses destroyed¡­
Their lives and livelihoods upended¡­
In a moment, an entire people¡­ scattered.

It is a pain that endures across generations and thousands of kilometers.

It is a pain for which only meaningful justice can provide relief.

It is a pain which unfortunately lasts until today, until this minute.

It is precisely because of this enduring pain that the responsibility of this institution remains so urgent.

One of the very first tasks of the United Nations was to find a just solution to conflicts and crises across the world, including the Question of Palestine.

For 78 long years, this institution ¨C alongside numerous other peace processes ¨C has worked to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The long-promised Two-State Solution, recognized as the only sustainable path to peace, security and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis ¨C and the only real answer to the Question of Palestine ¨C remains out of reach.

Indeed, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank has not only deteriorated, but is approaching a breaking point, exacerbated by the conflict in Gaza, the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, the increase in settler attacks against Palestinians, and the broader instability engulfing the Middle East.

According to OCHA, since January 2023, 45 Palestinian communities have been fully displaced across the West Bank due to settler attacks and related access restrictions, including nine communities in 2026, with reports of women and girls increasingly exposed to sexual violence. All in violation of international law, including applicable ±¬ÁÏÍø resolutions.

These shocking developments underscore the precarious plight of Palestinians and once again spotlight the inability of the international community ¨C and this institution ¨C to deliver dignity, justice, and security to the Palestinian people.

Excellencies,

Past failure is no excuse for future inaction. ±¬ÁÏÍø has a 78-year-old responsibility to address the Question of Palestine and must continue pushing for a just and lasting solution in accordance with the ±¬ÁÏÍø Charter, international law, and ±¬ÁÏÍø resolutions.

In this regard, I commend the Membership, once again, for the adoption, last September, of the New York Declaration. We know what to do.

This Declaration, coming at a time of heightened political tension and polarization, stands as a testament to the international community¡¯s resolve to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.

It underscores the urgency of addressing the root causes of displacement and conflict, as well as the need for justice and accountability.

I therefore urge Member States again, to recommit to the New York Declaration and embrace it also here in these ±¬ÁÏÍø halls, to redouble efforts towards the realization of the Two-State Solution. Recognizing that a future where the State of Israel and the State of Palestine can live side by side in peace, security, and mutual respect is neither a threat for Israel nor a reward for violence, but rather an investment in long-term peace, security, dignity and equal rights for all.

And in this regard, I urge Member States as well to not lose sight of what¡¯s going on right now in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic, access limited, and demand high. And where close to 800 Palestinians, including many children, have been killed since the announcement of the so-called ceasefire last October.

And I can simply reiterate what the chair has been saying, that a ceasefire which does not mean peace but more killing, even of children, is not peace and is no ceasefire, it¡¯s a continuation of fire.

While the situation in the Strait of Hormuz dominates headlines, these deteriorating conditions should deepen our resolve to make a reality what we set out in the Charter 80 years ago, ¡°to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war¡±.

And to not lose sight of the call from the ICJ in its advisory opinion in October, for respect to the human rights of the Palestinian people, meaning that they must have access to essential supplies of daily life, and not be forcefully transferred or deported.

Access to humanitarian aid is a right for every person around the world.

Which means that the international community together with all parties should work to end the illegal occupation, create a credible and irreversible pathway to achieve the Two-State-Solution and finally solve the Question of Palestine, as military action, terrorism, and violence will never be a substitute for dialogue, diplomacy and the respect of international law in the long term.

So that, one day, we deliver on our promise from 78 years ago¡­ that Palestinians may finally put down their suitcases, so that both Palestinians and Israelis may live safely, securely, and peacefully side-by-side in their own, sovereign and independent states as neighbouring nations.

I thank you.