International Solidarity Day with Palestine, UN Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Atrocities

New York, MINA – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned Israel’s relentless killing of Palestinians and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

“Every year on this day, the international community stands in solidarity for the dignity, rights, justice, and self-determination of the Palestinian people. This year’s observance is particularly painful because these fundamental goals are further away than ever,” Guterres said in a statement marking International Solidarity Day with the Palestinian People, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

This day, commemorated annually on November 29, honors the Palestinian aspirations for peace, justice, and self-determination.

The day was established by the UN in 1977, three decades after UN General Assembly Resolution 181, which proposed the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, highlighting the ongoing search for a resolution between both sides, even though the prospects for this now appear distant due to Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Guterres said, “Nothing justifies collective punishment against the Palestinian people,” while also condemning the October 7 attacks.

Highlighting the catastrophic impact of the conflict, Guterres emphasized that the killing of more than 43,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis is “horrific and unforgivable.”

He also criticized Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling the “expansion of settlements, evictions, demolitions, settler violence, and annexation threats” as worsening “suffering and injustice.”

Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the “end of the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories—as confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly.” (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)