Jeddah: Palestine's representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, on Monday emphasized the necessity of collaborating with regional and international allies to halt the ongoing conflict initiated by Israeli forces against the Palestinian people. He called for an end to the violence during his address at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Mansour highlighted that the meeting was convened at the request of Palestine and other nations to find a resolution to the escalating situation in the Gaza Strip following the decision by Israeli forces to invade and assume full military control over the region. He criticized the Israeli occupation forces for their attempts to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about "Greater Israel," viewing it as part of a broader regional threat.
Mansour urged for a transition from condemnation to action that would deliver justice and halt the Israeli transgressions against Palestinians. He noted that an international conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, has endorsed a plan aimed at ceasing the use of famine as a war tactic, implementing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, releasing prisoners, withdrawing Israeli forces, supporting Gaza's reconstruction, and convening a conference in Cairo on these matters.
He acknowledged the "courageous voices" opposing the actions of the Israeli forces against Palestinians and expressed gratitude to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his recent statements addressing the famine in Gaza, which has been officially recognized by international organizations.
Mansour called for the utilization of all available resources to halt the violations by Israeli forces, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions. He noted that the Palestinian side has been proactive in presenting plans and proposals and has been working with various efforts aimed at reaching a peace agreement.
In his remarks, Mansour expressed appreciation on behalf of the Palestinian people, their leaders, and President Mahmoud Abbas to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and sovereignty.
Earlier, the 21st extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states commenced in Jeddah, with participation from the Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, among others.