New York: Qatar has stressed the importance of the permanent sovereignty for the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and for the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, emphasising the need for Israel to abide by its obligations under the international humanitarian law in order to reach a comprehensive and just settlement to the Middle East crisis, which is the demand of the international community as a whole.
This came in the statement of Qatar in front of the UN Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on item No 60 titled “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” which was delivered by Sheikh Salman bin Jassim Al Thani, member of Qatar’s delegation participating in the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.
The statement pointed out that the report, prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), showed that more than one billion square metres of the Palestinian territories has been seized by Israel since the onset of the occupation, adding that in 2013, 663 Palestinian structures, including homes, were demolished, displacing more than 1000 people.
The report also noted that the stringent restrictions imposed by Israel on the movement of Palestinians and its discriminatory policies, including access to land and water, do not only undermine any chance to achieve a just peace in the region, but also harm the environment and natural resources and hinder the development and livelihood in Palestine.
The statement expressed concern of Qatar about these important issues included in ESCWA’s report, as well as what the report showed of the soaring levels of food insecurity and vulnerability, affecting 1.5 million Palestinians, and the negative trend of the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory, as the unemployment rate was recorded at 38.5 percent in Gaza, compared to 18.2 percent in the West Bank.
Qatar’s statement warned that Israel’s continued construction of settlements and the wall inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its exploitation of Palestinian natural resources would have undoubtedly disastrous consequences in worsening the humanitarian crisis, pointing out that the Israeli practices also extend to the occupied Syrian Golan as Israel continues to occupy the Syrian Golan illegally,
The statement also stressed that such practices are incompatible with the relevant UN resolutions and violate the international humanitarian law and the international human rights law.
QNA
