Statement on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on 29 November every year, the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs affirms its full and unequivocal support for the resolutions of international legitimacy on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent State on all the territories occupied by Israel since 5 June 1967, including East Jerusalem, the complete withdrawal of the occupying Power from those territories, the return of Palestinian refugees to their usurped lands and their compensation in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution 194 of 1949.

Regretting that this year’s observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People coincides with a painful reality involving unjust aggression in the Palestinian territories, the Council affirms that the war of genocide and collective punishment waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip since October 7^th 2023, which has claimed the lives of more than 15,000 innocent civilians, mostly women and children, and thousands of missing persons, has demonstrated the urgent need to move forward towards an urgent solution to the Palestinian issue and to put an end to the Israeli occupation, which has shed blood and violated all international laws and norms, including the Charter of the United Nations, the provisions of international humanitarian law and, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention.

While condemning the aggressive Israeli practices, the silence of some Western States and even their complicity with Israel in its criminal behavior, whether through providing political or military support, the Council stresses that the occupying Power is in no way entitled, in accordance with international law, to claim the right of self-defense. It called upon the peoples of the world, at this critical juncture, to support the people of Palestine, who are being subjected to genocide, displacement and war crimes, such as the bombardment of homes, hospitals, schools, houses of worship, shelters, as well as targeting children, women, the elderly, ambulance crews, the press and civil defense, in addition to a deadly siege that includes cutting off water, electricity, medicine, fuel and food .

On that occasion, the Council calls upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in this regard in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international legitimacy resolutions, in order to ensure the restoration of these rights as soon as possible. In this context, the Council commends the Egyptian position towards the Palestinian cause, the Government and the people, which is based on solid principles, and that Egypt’s commitment to its responsibility towards the Palestinian cause is genuine, and it is making every effort to ensure that the brotherly Palestinian people attain their legitimate rights to establish their independent State.