Ala asserts Syria’s rejection of attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause

His remarks came during the speech he delivered today before the 5th  session of the Arab Council for Population and Development at the ministerial level at the AL’s headquarters in Cairo.

The ambassador underscored the need to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the rest of the occupied Arab territories, indicating that the occupation is the essence of the problem, and what is happening today in Gaza, with all its ugliness and brutality, is one of the outcomes of this epidemic that must be confronted collectively and effectively.

He pointed out that the brutal aggression launched by the Israeli occupation entity against the Palestinian people comes within the framework of the scorched earth policy that puts the Palestinian people before the choice of either death by deliberate bombing or forced departure from their land and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.

He called for turning the content of the statement issued by the Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh into action  to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and meet their basic needs.

In another context, Ambassador Ala stressed the need for the Council meeting to creat a platform to discuss the challenges of migration, the spread of epidemics, displacement, climate change and their impact on population and development policies in Arab countries. He also affirmed the need for coordination and joint cooperation in dealing with these challenges and their consequences and in identifying gaps and ways to address them, including establishing a platform for this purpose.

Syria’s permanent representative to the Arab League referred to the steps that Syria has taken over the past years and recently to restore security and stability and facilitate the return of its displaced people to their homeland. He stressed that Syria welcomes the return of all its people in cooperation with friendly countries and partners in humanitarian work to achieve this.

He referred to the statement issued following the visit of the Lebanese Foreign Minister to Damascus on the 21st  of last October, which reflected the keenness of the two countries to address the challenges related to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, and the importance of joint cooperation to ensure the dignified return of the displaced Syrians to their motherland and the international community’s assumption of their responsibilities in this regard.

It is noteworthy that the Arab Council for Population and Development-during its 5th  session at the ministerial level- adopted the draft resolutions presented to it and adopted a declaration regarding the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip, in which it affirmed the united position of the Arab countries in condemning the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, and the continuation of the occupying power’s crimes against the people of the Gaza Strip.

The statement called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and all Palestinian cities, villages and camps, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities in this regard.

It also underlined the need to break the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip and secure comprehensive relief supplies throughout the Strip to prevent worsening the humanitarian and health catastrophe and the collapse of relief services.

The attendees expressed their concern over the humanitarian repercussions of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the forced displacement , and the martyrdom of thousands  from various segments of population, which threatens with a complete change in the demographic composition.

They stressed that the displacement of about 1.6 million Palestinians inside Gaza Strip is a war crime in accordance with the 4th  Geneva Convention of 1949, reiterating their categorical rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people outside their occupied land.

The participants, in addition, renewed the Arab countries’ commitment to strengthening joint Arab action in the field of population policies to respond to all the needs of the people in Gaza Strip, and to work to coordinate efforts regarding all initiatives aimed at ensuring the arrival of humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip.

B.Q.