Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • ‘There’s still goodness in this world,’ says Palestine envoy as 121 nations rally to call to end war


‘There’s still goodness in this world,’ says Palestine envoy as 121 nations rally to call to end war

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas. (Screenshot/UNTV)
Short Url

https://arab.news/g7ux2

Updated 30 October 2023
Follow

‘There’s still goodness in this world,’ says Palestine envoy as 121 nations rally to call to end war

  • Arab resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and humanitarian relief receives overwhelming support at UN General Assembly, including from most European countries
  • UAE’s envoy said her fellow non-permanent members of the Security Council will take ‘moral authority’ provided by the vote and work to break council deadlock on the issue
Updated 30 October 2023
Ephrem Kossaify

NEW YORK CITY: More than 121 countries voted at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday to adopt an Arab resolution calling for the war on Gaza to end and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to flow into the battered territory. Only 14 countries voted against it, one of which was the US.

An amendment to the resolution proposed by Canada, co-sponsored by the US and some European countries, that called for condemnation of Hamas failed to garner enough votes and was not adopted.

Before the vote, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Munir Akram, said it was “amazing” that his Canadian counterpart did not feel the need while condemning Hamas to condemn Israel, too, “for the enormity of the crimes it has committed in Gaza.” He added that “the Israeli occupation is the original sin behind this crisis and not the Oct. 7 attack.”

If Canada wants to be fair, he continued, then it must condemn both sides or name neither.

Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent observer to the UN, thanked the 120 nations who voted in favor of the resolution, telling reporters that “there is still goodness in this world and we will never forget your position today.”

However, the resolution represents only “chapter one,” he added, and he vowed to continue “knocking every door” to stop the war against Gaza.

The Arab resolution, titled “Protection of Civilians and Upholding Legal and Humanitarian Obligations,” condemns all acts of violence targeting Palestinian or Israeli civilians. It

calls for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities,” the “immediate and unconditional” release of all civilians who are being “illegally held captive,” and “the immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered” flow of life-saving aid to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip, including water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity.

It also “firmly rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population” and urges Israel, “the occupying power,” to rescind its evacuation order for Gazans in the north of the territory to relocate to the south.

After two weeks of almost continuous Israeli shelling, the UN has described the situation that more than 1.5 million Gazans are facing as “a catastrophe.” Much of the territory’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, schools, water and sanitation facilities, and about 40 percent of homes. Water supplies have all but run out, and there are reports that people have been forced to drink sewage water.

UN agencies have warned that very soon, mortality rates will “skyrocket due to disease outbreaks and lack of healthcare capacity.”

The UN resolution was sponsored by more than 47 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, along with Russia and a number of African and Latin American countries.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s envoy, who also represents the Arab Group at the Security Council, said that “120 votes in this kind of geopolitical environment is a very, very high signal of the

support for international law for proportionate use of force, and it is a rejection of the status quo that is currently happening on the ground in Gaza.”

Although General Assembly resolutions, unlike those of the Security Council, do not have the force of international law behind them, they do carry “incredible weight and moral authority,” Nusseibeh said.

She added that the 10 current non-permanent members of the Security Council will take that “moral authority” and work to develop a new proposal to try to break the deadlock within the council, which has failed four times over the past two weeks to reach an agreement for action on Gaza.

The failed Canadian amendment to the resolution, presented on Thursday and later co-sponsored by a number of European countries, called for the rejection and condemnation of “the terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting on Oct. 7, 2023, and the taking of hostages, (demanded) the safety, well-being and humane treatment of the hostages in compliance with international law, and (called) for their immediate and unconditional release.”

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs, on Thursday asked members of the General Assembly to vote for the original resolution “for the sake of Palestinians and Israelis.”

He added: “Don’t be fooled by what the Israeli ambassador has just said, that our resolution does not recognize the pain on the Israeli side. Make a stand for peace, for life. Make it clear. Make it firm.

“Don’t let them tell you that this is a war between Muslims and Jews. I stand before you as a Jordanian, as an Arab, as a Muslim, and I tell you, we value life — Muslim life, Christian life, Jewish life. We value the sanctity of life.

“The Israeli representative did not say a word about Palestinian lives shattered in this war. (I) do and I say we care about all lives, all civilians: Muslims, Christians, Palestinian and Israeli lives.”

Earlier on Thursday, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, had condemned the Arab Group’s resolution as “absurd” and “hypocrisy beyond belief.”

“This resolution is a disgrace to your intelligence. Let that sink in, please,” he told the General Assembly. “The depraved murderers who initiated this war are not even mentioned in the resolution. The drafters of the resolution claim to be concerned about peace. They see each one of you as a puppet.

“They write a resolution completely devoid of any content related to the situation. They assume that you have already forgotten who it is that is responsible for the inhumane violence, and they just expect you to support it automatically.

“Friends, Israel is on a rescue mission to save our hostages, to save our future and to save the people of Gaza from their savage tyrants. A rescue mission. Any call for a ceasefire is not a call for peace, it is call to tie Israel’s hand. The only place this resolution belongs is in the dustbin of history. Vote against this biased resolution.”

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, also campaigned against the Arab resolution, expressing outrage that two “key words” were missing from it: “Hamas” and “hostages.”

She said: “These are omissions of evil; they empower Hamas’ brutality and no member state should allow that to happen.”

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Palestine

Related

Middle-East
United Nations says ‘soon many more will die’ from Israel’s Gaza siege
Middle-East
Israeli army says ground forces ‘expanding’ activities in Gaza, where Internet has collapsed

‘New Syria’ offers historic moment of hope but also threats and uncertainty, says UN chief

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

‘New Syria’ offers historic moment of hope but also threats and uncertainty, says UN chief

  • Secretary-General Antonia Guterres warned of Daesh threats in parts of the country and called for Israeli airstrikes to stop
  • Progress could unravel ‘if the ongoing situation is not managed carefully by Syrians themselves’ with international support, he adds
Updated 4 sec ago
Ephrem Kossaify

NEW YORK CITY: While recent developments in Syria offer a long-awaited opportunity for Syrians to realize their aspirations for freedom “there is a real risk that progress could unravel” if the situation is not managed carefully, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday.

Long-time dictator Bashar Assad fled the country on Dec. 8 following a swift offensive by a group of rebels. Their operation, which lasted less than two weeks, met little resistance.

Guterres noted that the end of more than five decades of “brutal, dictatorial rule” by the Assad family offers a long-sought opportunity for all Syrians to fulfill the aspirations that sparked their peaceful movement for change in 2011. The slogan that echoed across the country, “The Syrian people are one,” has never been more relevant, he added.

“It holds great promise for a country so rich in diversity, history and culture, along with its deep-rooted traditions of generosity, which I witnessed first-hand as high commissioner for refugees when the Syrian people welcomed millions of displaced Iraqis,” Guterres said.

However, he stressed that “nothing is guaranteed” and warned: “If the ongoing situation is not managed carefully by Syrians themselves, with the support of the international community, there is a real risk that progress could unravel.”

Guterres emphasized that “all communities must be fully integrated into the new Syria,” and “the rights of women and girls must be fully respected.” He also reiterated the importance of ensuring the process is guided by the principles outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Adopted in 2015, the resolution calls for a ceasefire agreement and political settlement in Syria, and sets out a road map for the country’s transition, including “free and fair” elections.

Although some parts of Syria are relatively stable following the fall of Assad, Guterres warned that the conflict is far from over and civilians continue to be killed, injured and displaced. Daesh remains a threat in some areas, while Israel continues to target the country with extensive airstrikes.

“These are violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Guterres said. “They must stop.”

In the Golan Heights, he said, the UN’s Disengagement Observer Force has reported an ongoing Israeli military presence in several locations within the Area of Separation, despite long-standing agreements prohibiting such deployments.

The peacekeeping mission has also observed Israeli personnel and equipment in at least one place inside the Area of Limitation. The 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria stipulates that this area must remain free of military forces.

Guterres called on Israel and Syria to fully comply with the terms of the agreement, which “remains in full force.”

He added: “Let me be clear: There should be no military forces in the Area of Separation other than UN peacekeepers, period. Syria’s sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity must be fully restored, and all acts of aggression must come to an immediate end.”

Neighboring country Turkiye has “a very important role” to play in convincing parties in Syria of the need for inclusive dialogue, Guterres said. However, he also stressed the need to establish a permanent ceasefire in northeastern Syria, and to stem the activities of Daesh in the area.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the country remains one of the worst in the world, with the recent escalation further exacerbating the needs of people nationwide. Guterres stressed the urgent need to ensure humanitarian and recovery efforts receive adequate funding. The UN’s humanitarian chief has already warned that the appeal for aid to Syria, one of the largest in the world, remains severely underfunded.

Describing the current moment in Syria as one of “hope and history” but also “great uncertainty,” Guterres said: “Some will try to exploit the situation for their own narrow interests. But it is the obligation of the international community to stand with the people of Syria, who have suffered so much.

“Syria’s future must be shaped by its people, for its people, with the support of all of us.”

Topics: Fall of Assad United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres

Related

Middle-East
UN chief welcomes aid commitments by new Syrian authorities
Special
Middle-East
Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief

Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

Updated 40 min 44 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

  • Assad’s departure came over 13 years after crackdown on democracy protests precipitated civil war
  • Russia was Assad’s key backer and swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict in his favor
Updated 40 min 44 sec ago
AFP

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar Assad was not a “defeat” for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast human rights abuses and civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated a civil war.
Russia was Assad’s key backer and had swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said at his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he said, responding to a question from an American journalist.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said he had yet to meet with Assad in Moscow, but planned to do so soon.
“I haven’t yet seen president Assad since his arrival in Moscow but I plan to, I will definitely speak with him,” he said.
Putin was addressing the situation in Syria publicly for the first time since Assad’s fall.
Moscow is keen to secure the fate of two military bases in the country.
The Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base are Russia’s only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin said there was support for Russia keeping hold of the bases.
“We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. An overwhelming majority of them say they are interested in our military bases staying there,” Putin said.
He also said Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian soldiers from the country at the request from Tehran.

Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says

  • New rulers promise equal treatment for all minority groups
  • Education minister assures girls’ right to education remains unchanged
  • Half of Syria’s schools destroyed or damaged, Qadri says
Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

DAMASCUS: Syria will remove all references to the former ruling Baath party from its educational system as of next week but will not otherwise change school curricula or restrict the rights of girls to learn, the country’s new education minister said.
“Education is a red line for the Syrian people, more important than food and water,” Nazir Mohammad Al-Qadri said in an interview from his office in Damascus.
“The right to education is not limited to one specific gender. ... There may be more girls in our schools than boys,” he said.
The secular, pan-Arab nationalist Baath Party governed Syria since a 1963 coup d’etat, seeing education as an important tool for instilling life-long loyalty among the young to the country’s authoritarian ruling system.
President Bashar Assad was toppled on Dec. 8 by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist rebel group that some Syrians fear may seek to implement a conservative form of Islamist governance.
But Qadri’s plans reflect their wider management approach and moderate messaging so far.
Syria has long been seen to have one of the Arab world’s strongest education systems, a reputation that has largely survived 13 years of civil war.
Qadri said religion — both Muslim and Christian — will continue to be taught as a subject in school.
Primary schools will remain mixed between boys and girls, while secondary education will stay largely segregated, he said.
“After primary school, there were always schools for females and schools for males. We won’t change that,” said Qadri, who had taken to his ornately-furnished office so recently that he had not yet procured Syria’s new green, white and black flag.
Syria’s new rulers, who have long-since disavowed their former Al-Qaeda links, have said that all of Syria’s minority groups including Kurds, Christians, Druze and Alawites will be treated equal as the new government focuses on rebuilding.
They face a formidable challenge.
Syria remains under tight Western sanctions.
Entire cities were levelled in 13 years of war that Qadri said had also left about half the country’s 18,000 schools damaged or destroyed.
But the rebels have moved into government fast, extending a hand to former state employees who have shown up to work in droves.
Most of the new ministers are young — in their 30s or 40s — making 54-year-old Qadri among the oldest in government.
Born and raised in Damascus, he was imprisoned by the Assad regime in 2008 on what he said were spurious charges of inciting sectarian strife, preventing him from finishing his bachelor’s degree.
He was released a decade later and fled to northern Idlib, then under the control of HTS, becoming education minister in its Salvation Government in 2022.
He is currently finishing his masters thesis in Arabic language.
With the political and social contours of the new Syrian state still being drawn, Qadri said students would not be tested on their mandatory “nationalist studies” — previously a vehicle for teaching Baathism and Assad family history — this year.

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria Education

Related

World
Syria on table as migration hawks hold pre-EU summit talks
Middle-East
Turkiye won’t halt Syria military activity until Kurd fighters ‘disarm’

Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday that an Israeli air strike on a car killed four Palestinians and wounded three near the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem.
The ministry announced that the Palestinians were killed “as a result of the (Israeli) bombing of a vehicle in Tulkarem camp,” which the Israeli army did not immediately confirm to AFP.

Topics: west bank palestine War on Gaza

Turkiye, Iran leaders at Muslim summit in Cairo

Updated 55 min 4 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Turkiye, Iran leaders at Muslim summit in Cairo

  • Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza
Updated 55 min 4 sec ago
AFP

CAIRO: The leaders of Turkiye and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, meeting for the first time since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar Assad.
Turkiye historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported his rule.
The gathering of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil including the conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.
In a speech to the summit, Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity and reconciliation in Syria, urging “the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.”
He also voiced hope for “the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism,” where “all religious sects and ethnic groups live side by side in peace.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged action to address the crises in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, saying that it is a “religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in these conflict zones.
Pezeshkian, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited in 2013.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty traveled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
Ahead of the summit, the Iranian top diplomat said he hoped it would “send a strong message to the world that the Israeli aggressions and violations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria” would end “immediately.”
Erdogan was in Egypt earlier this year, and discussed with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi economic cooperation as well as regional conflicts.
Established in 1997, the D-8 aims to foster cooperation among member states, spanning regions from Southeast Asia to Africa.
The organization includes Egypt, Turkiye, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia as member states.

Topics: Iran Turkiye Egypt

Related

Middle-East
Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says
World
Syria on table as migration hawks hold pre-EU summit talks

Latest updates

Former foreign minister, serving chief minister among 14 indicted for attack on Pakistan army headquarter
Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia
Pakistani PM condemns Israeli military actions at special D-8 session on Middle East conflict
Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says
Pakistani ministry signs agreement with National Testing Service for selection of Hajj staff

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.