New york: The Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has sent three identical letters to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council for this month (Republic of Korea), and the President of the UN General Assembly. These letters address the ongoing killing and terrorizing of Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip amid continuous bombardment, mass starvation, forced displacement, and ongoing threats of further destruction by the Israeli occupation.
According to Qatar News Agency, Mansour highlighted that the death toll has reached nearly 65,000 martyrs and more than 165,000 wounded, with 300,000 Palestinians, including the sick and wounded, being forced to flee their homes and shelters with no safe haven from the Israeli onslaught. The permanent representative emphasized the findings of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Mansour called for urgent action to end the genocide and hold those responsible accountable.
He urged the international community, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, all states, and international organizations, to take immediate action for an immediate ceasefire, prevent further harm, ensure the release of hostages and prisoners, and expedite the delivery of life-saving aid to Gaza to prevent famine and ensure survival. Mansour reiterated his calls for international protection for Palestinians under international law, emphasizing the commitment to preventing genocide as stipulated by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and according to the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures ordered in 2024.
Mansour stressed the urgency of protecting Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, especially as Israel continues its annexation and ethnic cleansing efforts. He noted that Israeli forces and settlers have conducted daily raids and terrorist attacks in the West Bank, kidnapping more than 1,500 Palestinians in the past week. Additionally, the Israeli Prime Minister has made public statements ensuring “there will be no Palestinian state.”
The Palestinian representative referred to assertions by 46 special rapporteurs and independent experts of the Human Rights Council, stating that silence and inaction are not options regarding the situation in Gaza. He called on the international community for urgent action. Mansour also mentioned the International Commissions of Inquiry’s statement that events in Gaza since October 2023 are part of a broader context of decades-long occupation, settlement, and apartheid.
Furthermore, Mansour referred to the meeting of world leaders at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and the resumption of the international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution. He appealed to the international community, on behalf of the Palestinian people and all humanity, to take immediate action to halt Israeli atrocities, end the genocide, and terminate the illegal occupation.