CAIRO, Nov 30 (MENA) – Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League Mohamed Samir said the international community’s responsibility toward the Palestinian people must go beyond expressions of solidarity to concrete action.
He stressed the need to provide protection for Palestinian civilians across the occupied territories, halt all settlement activity and de facto annexation efforts, ensure respect for international humanitarian law, launch a credible political process leading to a just and comprehensive final settlement, and support reconstruction efforts in Gaza to restore dignified living conditions.
Addressing the Arab League on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Sunday, Samir said the occasion carries deep political and moral significance. He noted that the Palestinian cause remains an open wound in the conscience of humanity and a testament to the international community’s failure to uphold the inalienable rights of a people still denied self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He cautioned that while the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has drawn global attention due to its scale of destruction and unbearable suffering, the broader Palestinian tragedy extends far beyond the enclave.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, he noted, practices amounting to a gradual and systematic silent annexation continue through the expansion of settlement boundaries, the steady growth of settlement activity, the legalization of illegal outposts, and the issuance of new building permits within them. These actions, he said, fragment Palestinian territory and undermine the foundations of a viable independent state, taking place with little global media attention and becoming entrenched as a fait accompli.
Samir stressed that reinforcing solidarity with the Palestinian people has become even more crucial, underscoring that Palestinians need clear confirmation that their cause remains alive in the world’s conscience and that the international community recognizes the justice of their struggle.
He called on the international community to employ all available legal and political tools to pressure Israel to halt its violations, comply with its international obligations, and create the conditions necessary to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and its categorical rejection of unilateral measures that violate international law and undermine the two-state solution. He reiterated Egypt’s firm position against any forced displacement, describing it as a red line.
Samir highlighted Egypt’s political role in stabilizing ceasefires, containing escalation, and preparing conditions for resuming the peace process, alongside its humanitarian support through the continued delivery of relief and medical aid, the reception of injured Palestinians, and facilitation of humanitarian operations.
He noted that Egypt is working to convene the “Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza” conference as soon as possible to mobilize international support for rebuilding and restoring dignified living conditions for Gaza’s population. (MENA)
