Al-Dahhak: The Occupation’s measures to undermine UNRWA are part of its criminal record against the Palestinian people
Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Qusay al-Dahhak, reiterated Syria’s position in rejection of the unilateral measures taken by the Israeli entity to undermine UNRWA and ban its work inside the Palestinian territories.
He indicated that the attacks on international forces and UN organizations in Lebanon and Gaza are an extension of decades of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, stressing Syria’s call on the Security Council to take immediate action to stop the Israeli aggression that threatens regional and international peace and security.
“Tuesday, the 29th of October, marks the anniversary of the brutal massacre committed by Zionist gangs against the people of the Palestinian village of Safsaf in 1948, whose horrific events reflected the mentality of the Israeli occupation and its approach based on killing and aggression, an approach that is currently continuing with the new generations of Israeli war criminals who have chosen to continue their barbaric criminal practices and violate all legal, humanitarian and moral standards”, Al-Dahhak said during a Security Council session on the Palestinian issue on Tuesday.
He added the campaigns carried out by Israel against the United Nations, its agencies and its Secretary-General, and the Israeli efforts to intimidate and silence the organization’s representatives are rejected , pointing out that Israeli occupation deliberately targeting of the UNRWA is nothing but new evidence of the continued hostile approach of the occupying entity towards this organization.
“In this context, Syria renews its categorical condemnation of the unprecedented hostile Israeli campaign launched by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and affirms its solidarity with him in confronting it, and appreciates the efforts he is making in accordance with his mandate” Al –Dahhak expressed.
He stressed that Syria rejects the unilateral measures taken by the Israeli entity to undermine UNRWA and ban its work inside the Palestinian territories, which have reached the point of describing it as a terrorist organization, which is an extremely dangerous and unprecedented behavior that harms not only the agency, but also the United Nations as an international organization and a comprehensive global forum. Al-Dahhak indicated that Syria demands the protection of UNRWA and its mandate derived from the United Nations General Assembly, and providing it with the necessary support to enable it to continue providing aid and humanitarian services to the Palestinians in their homeland and in host countries, including Syria.
“Syria also condemns the deliberate Israeli attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and stresses the need to preserve the security and safety of the force’s personnel, as well as the security and safety of the UNDOF and UNTSO missions, in order to ensure the continuation of their mandates and their monitoring and documentation of Israeli violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and to report them to your Council” the ambassador said.
He went on to say that “in light of the continued Israeli attacks on Syria , which have reached 116 attacks by the 21st of this month, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bassam Sabbagh, sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations a few days ago, in which he explained what these attacks represent as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and the unity and integrity of its territories”.
He added that the letter also reviewed the effects resulting from targeting the homes of safe citizens, infrastructure, civil service facilities, economic establishments, and even diplomatic headquarters and border crossings, calling on the UN Chief to continue his efforts and for the United Nations to assume its responsibilities to put an end to the practices of the usurping occupation, stop the acts of aggression and serious violations it commits, and ensure that it is held accountable for them and does not escape punishment. “We look forward to achieving this as soon as possible,” he pointed out.
He reiterated that Syria will continue to support the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle to establish their independent, sovereign state on their national soil with Jerusalem as its capital, and to obtain full membership in the United Nations.
Moreover, Syria continues to take all necessary measures to receive the Lebanese brothers and Syrian returnees from Lebanon, whose numbers have approached 500,000.
Al-Dahhak indicated that Syria stresses the need to implement the relevant UN resolutions to end the Israeli occupation of Arab lands in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, and affirms that the crimes of the Israeli occupation entity will not deter our peoples from continuing their struggle to obtain their legitimate rights and liberate their usurped lands.
“Syria also affirms its firm right to restore the Syrian Arab Golan occupied since 1967, and salutes the steadfastness of our people in the Syrian Golan and their adherence to their Syrian national identity, and their rejection of all annexation plans and attempts to impose the Israeli citizenship on them,” the ambassador said.
Rawaa Ghanam