The United Arab Emirates has called upon the international community to take effective measures to protect the Palestinian people, especially in East Jerusalem, from the daily aggressions committed by the Israeli forces and settlers

In a statement given at the United Nations’ General Assembly on the Question of Palestine, Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, reiterated the message of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, sent to the UN on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

The letter conveyed the continued support of the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates for the Palestinian people until their legitimate aspirations to establish an independent sovereign state are realised

In her statement, Ambassador Nusseibeh said, “The time has come for the international community, especially the Quartet and the Security Council, to act in accordance with the provisions of international law and the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, including taking effective measures for the protection of the Palestinian people.” She referred to the systematic Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque as provocative to Muslims all over the world, and hailed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s position regarding the administration of the Holy Islamic sites in Jerusalem, and its recent endeavours to reduce tension resulting from the unacceptable Israeli practices. She also welcomed the Secretary-General’s recently-formed internal investigation committee to investigate Israel’s attacks on buildings, schools and UN facilities in the Gaza Strip, in order to identify those who are responsible for these crimes and hold them accountable under international law

Ambassador Nusseibeh rejected the justifications given by Israel to maintain its security in the region through flagrant and repeated violations of international humanitarian law, and emphasised that Israel’s security will be achieved when it fully complies with its obligations as an occupying power, demonstrates a genuine political will towards achieving a real peace in the region, and cooperates in achieving the two-state solution on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative. She also stressed the urgent priority of demanding that Israel immediately cease all its settlement activities, remove all barriers and restrictions preventing freedom of movement, lift the unjust siege imposed on Gaza, and release Palestinian prisoners, including those under administrative detention

The UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN welcomed the important role played by the Arab Republic of Egypt in its continuous support to the Palestinian cause and people, and called upon the international community to strengthen its political and development support to the Palestinian National Authority to enable it carry out its responsibilities

Ambassador Nusseibeh concluded her statement by welcoming the commencement of the operations of the temporary Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism earlier this month, and expressed the UAE’s support for the important role played by UNRWA and other international organisations in the implementation of this mechanism. She also confirmed that the UAE would continue to fulfill its commitment of contributing US$200 million in aid to Gaza, as part of its direct and indirect financial, humanitarian and development aid programmes