Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
At the UNSC Arria-Formula Meeting, the UAE condemned the continued deterioration of the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
This deterioration has been evidenced by intensified settlement activity, including escalating violence by extremist settlers, forced displacement, and restrictions on access to holy sites, which exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and undermine the viability of the two-State solution, said Fatema Yousuf, Acting Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations.
"I would also like to highlight the UAE’s rejection of any measures aimed at the annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian territory. This includes the systematic expansion of settlements, the imposition of Israeli law and jurisdiction, and the construction of infrastructure designed to permanently alter the demographic and geographic character of the West Bank. The UAE’s position on this is unequivocal: annexation in any form — whether de jure or de facto — is a red line," Yousuf said.
"The rising levels of settler violence against Palestinian civilians are deeply alarming. Concrete and immediate steps must be taken to prevent such attacks and to ensure accountability for the perpetrators. The demolition of Palestinian homes, forced evictions, and the displacement of Palestinian communities — with more than 2,500 Palestinians displaced in 2026 alone — are unacceptable and must cease," she added.
Yousuf also reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to advancing efforts towards the realisation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
