In a message on behalf of the Secretary-General, UN Chef de Cabinet Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti said resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most intractable challenges facing the international community.
Speaking at today’s (27 Nov) ceremony observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which formally takes place on Friday, Viotti said over the past year, there have been no positive developments, and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.
Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet, United Nations:
“The intensification of illegal settlements, demolitions of Palestinian homes and the pervasive suffering in Gaza must stop. The establishment of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, as stated in Security Council resolution 2334. These actions threaten to undermine the viability of establishing a Palestinian state based on relevant United Nations resolutions.”
At the same time, Viotti said the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars towards Israeli civilian populations must cease.
The Chef de Cabinet, after reading the Secretary-General’s message, added that the two-State solution, the only viable resolution to this conflict, remains as distant as ever. She joined the Secretary-General in stressing for the need for bold action.
