The United Arab Emirates' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohamed Abushahab, affirmed last night the Arab Group’s firm rejection of the alternative system proposed by Israel regarding humanitarian aid in Gaza, citing its violation of fundamental humanitarian principles.
اضافة اعلان
Abushahab stated that the proposed mechanism "deprives thousands of people—particularly women, the elderly, and the injured—of life-saving assistance."
He also strongly condemned what he described as Israel’s arbitrary restrictions on UNRWA and its illegitimate decisions to ban the agency’s work. He called on the international community to strengthen political and financial support for UNRWA to ensure the continuity of its essential services.
The Arab Group reiterated its outright rejection of any attempts at forcibly displacing the Palestinian people or seizing their land and heritage. In this context, Abushahab referenced the upcoming international conference to be held at the UN next month focused on implementing the two-state solution, urging the international community and all concerned parties to intensify efforts to ensure the conference produces meaningful, actionable outcomes.
Algeria’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Toufik Goudjil, also rejected the Israeli aid distribution plan, saying it "falls far short of meeting the urgent and essential needs of more than two million people." He called for a comprehensive and permanent end to the aggression, the lifting of the siege on Gaza, the opening of border crossings for humanitarian aid, and the cessation of all forms of forced displacement.
Meanwhile, Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, declared, "If further evidence was needed to prove an intent to destroy the Palestinian people in Gaza, then this manufactured famine is definitive proof."
Mansour emphasized that the Israeli aid proposal was rejected by all UN agencies and humanitarian organizations because it merely perpetuates the weaponization of aid by pushing civilians and humanitarian workers into military zones to receive or distribute assistance—despite the grave risks to their lives.
He concluded by stressing that "the only reason for the dire humanitarian situation is Israel’s continued obstruction and rejection of aid," and called on the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and all member states to urgently consider all possible measures—without exception—to break the siege on more than two million people and end what he called a "brutal famine."
— (Petra)
