Saudi Arabia has told the United Nations Security Council that lasting peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without addressing the Palestinian issue and ending the Israeli occupation.
Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group during a Security Council session on Gaza, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, said any durable settlement must guarantee the Palestinian people's rights, including the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Alwasil expressed concern over what he described as continuing Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement expansion, land confiscation, home demolitions, displacement and annexation.
He said such actions threaten regional and international stability and undermine prospects for peace.
The Arab Group rejected measures aimed at consolidating the occupation or imposing sovereignty over Palestinian territory, describing them as violations of international law and the UN Charter.
The group also welcomed international efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and called for those efforts to be expanded into a broader process that protects civilians and creates a credible political path towards a two-state solution.
Alwasil condemned continued attacks against Palestinians and called for immediate and sustained humanitarian access throughout Gaza.
He said humanitarian aid should not be used as a political tool and urged greater international support for relief operations, including unrestricted access for UN agencies.
The Arab Group also rejected proposals to annex parts of Gaza or displace its population, while reaffirming that Jerusalem remains part of the territories occupied since 1967.
Alwasil called on the Security Council and the wider international community to fulfil their responsibilities under the UN Charter and work towards ending the occupation and safeguarding Palestinian rights.