NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has affirmed that the international organization will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights to live in peace, security and dignity.
“Every year on this day, the international community stands in solidarity for the dignity, rights, justice, and self-determination of the Palestinian people. This year’s commemoration is especially painful as those fundamental goals are as distant as they have ever been,” Guterres said in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Friday.
The day, observed annually on November 29, honors Palestinian aspirations for peace, justice and self-determination.
Guterres said that “nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Highlighting the catastrophic aftermath of the conflict, Guterres stressed that the killing of over 43,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis are “appalling and inexcusable.”
He also criticized Israeli actions in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, citing “settlement expansion, evictions, demolitions, settler violence and threats of annexation” as exacerbating the “pain and injustice.”
Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire, the release of all detainees, and “an end to the unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territories — as confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly.”
He emphasized the need for a sustainable solution based on international law and UN resolutions, envisioning “Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”
Guterres also called for increased humanitarian support, particularly through the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which he described as an “irreplaceable lifeline for millions.”
