Zionist violations threaten regional stability, global order, GCC warns

NEW YORK: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states warned at the United Nations that ongoing Zionist violations not only endanger regional security but also undermine the foundations of the international order based on law, justice and human rights, while weakening prospects for sustainable development and peace. The remarks came in a statement delivered by Rashid Al-Abhoul, Third Secretary of Kuwait’s Permanent Delegation to the UN, before the Second Committee under the agenda item on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Al-Abhoul said the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip, has reached “an unprecedented level of deterioration” after two years of Zionist aggression. He noted the destruction of infrastructure, significant civilian casualties, soaring poverty and unemployment, and the collapse of health, education and economic services. He added that similar suffering extends to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where Palestinians continue to face discrimination, home demolitions, land confiscation, movement restrictions, escalating settler violence and illegal settlement expansion.

The Gulf Group, he said, is deeply concerned over the impact of Zionist practices on the education sector, highlighting that systematic destruction in Gaza has deprived large numbers of children of their right to schooling. Al-Abhoul also condemned Zionist entity’s continued depletion of natural resources in the occupied Syrian Golan through land and water confiscation and their use in illegal settlement and economic projects – including a wind turbine initiative that has caused severe environmental and health harm to Syrian communities.

Third Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Kuwait to UN, Rashid Al-Abhoul

He stressed the need for full commitment to the ceasefire, implementation of its provisions, and the facilitation of urgent humanitarian aid into Gaza to end famine and restore stability. He expressed the GCC’s welcome of the Gaza Agreement signed during the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, based on the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, and made possible through the efforts of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Al-Abhoul noted the group’s anticipation of the International Court of Justice’s upcoming advisory opinion on the obligations of the occupying power, describing it as an important legal reference that reinforces international justice, accountability and efforts to end the occupation and secure the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.

Commenting on the UN Secretary-General’s latest report, he said the Gulf states are following with grave concern the painful realities it outlines, reflecting the depth of suffering experienced by Palestinians and the Syrian population in the occupied Golan as a result of ongoing policies of repression, expansion and settlement.

He concluded by reaffirming the GCC’s unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. He called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities to end the occupation, lift the siege on Gaza, stop all violations and hold perpetrators accountable under international humanitarian and human rights law.

Separately, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Tariq Al-Bannai, affirmed the readiness of GCC states to constructively contribute toward building consensus that would lead to a realistic and balanced outcome aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the UN system. Speaking on behalf of the Gulf Group before the UN General Assembly session on the “UN80” initiative, Al-Bannai said genuine reform requires an objective review that promotes institutional integration and preserves balance among the UN’s main pillars.

He described the “UN80” initiative as a real opportunity to strengthen UN bodies, improve performance and achieve a qualitative shift in efficiency and effectiveness. He called for efforts to remain focused on promoting multilateralism in full respect of the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Al-Bannai stressed the need for a pragmatic approach that prioritizes qualitative progress in the next stage and considers the priorities of developing countries, while avoiding their marginalization or diminished geographical representation within the UN system. — KUNA