On 28 November, ESCWA marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People through an official virtual ceremony. The event featured statements by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, delivered by UN Under-Secretary-General and Acting ESCWA Executive Secretary Mourad Wahba; Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa, represented by Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf Al-A’war; and Prime Minister of Lebanon Nawaf Salam, represented by Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh.
The remarks of the UN Secretary-General stressed that the devastation caused by the war was unprecedented and that the continued suffering of Palestinians constituted a flagrant violation of international law. They reaffirmed the UN’s unwavering commitment to supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and to working towards a future built on peace, justice, security and dignity.
For his part, Al-A’war highlighted the dire humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people and stressed the need to translate the growing international solidarity into real action, ultimately enabling the Palestinian people to exercise its right of self-determination and establish its independent State.
Finally, Salameh reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and its lawful rights, asserting that the stability and security of Palestine were of mutual interest. He welcomed increased international recognition of the State of Palestine, urging to put an end to the Israeli violations of international law.
Following the official opening, ESCWA organized a webinar in collaboration with the Palestine Land Studies Center at the American University of Beirut, focusing on the legal and human rights implications of the war on Gaza. The event featured UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri and was moderated by the Center’s Director Zeina Jallad.
Discussions addressed the legal dimensions of Israeli policies and practices and explored how the growing global solidarity movement could be translated into concrete measures to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law. Speakers also examined various aspects of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the systematic destruction of the entire food system, from burning and demolishing farms to severely undermining Gaza’s capacity to produce food.
The event concluded by underscoring the importance of international solidarity, the protection of the Palestinian people’s dignity and future, and the need to hold perpetrators of international law violations accountable. Participants emphasized the urgency of strengthening humanitarian and legal efforts to ensure justice and the right to a dignified life for Palestinians.
