UAE Affirms Palestinians' Sovereign Right Over Natural Resources

The UAE expressed deep concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in occupied Palestinian territories during a UN General Assembly session, calling for Palestinian sovereignty over natural resources and welcoming a recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion that declared Israeli occupation illegal.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly's Second Committee, Reem Al Hashemi from the UAE's permanent mission highlighted how decades of Israeli occupation have severely limited Palestinians' access to basic resources. Water scarcity has reached critical levels, food security continues to deteriorate, and healthcare services remain inadequate, particularly affecting women, girls, and children who face health complications and lack essential services.

The situation in Gaza has become especially dire. Restrictions on healthcare access, food aid, and fuel deliveries have pushed humanitarian conditions to breaking points. Agricultural lands and vital infrastructure have suffered extensive damage, further limiting Palestinians' ability to sustain themselves.

"Permanent sovereignty over natural resources is a fundamental right of peoples and an essential condition for achieving sustainable development and human dignity," Al Hashemi said. But Palestinians in occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, and Arab populations in the occupied Syrian Golan face increasing restrictions that prevent them from exercising this basic right.

The UAE welcomed the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion, which confirmed the illegality of Israeli occupation and called for its end. This legal opinion adds international weight to long-standing calls for resolving the Palestinian situation through established international law.

Movement restrictions and limited access to agricultural land, water sources, and coastal areas have crippled economic development and undermined Palestinians' ability to live with dignity. These constraints affect not just current living conditions but also long-term prospects for sustainable development.

The UAE expressed hope that the recently agreed first phase of a Gaza ceasefire could mark a step toward ending humanitarian suffering. The two-year Israeli military campaign in Gaza has intensified the crisis, with severe restrictions on medical care, food, clean water, and fuel access.

The statement emphasized that protecting Palestinian natural resources isn't just an urgent humanitarian matter but also essential for sustainable development that ensures future generations can live with dignity and stability. The UAE reiterated its support for finding a permanent, just, and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state having East Jerusalem as its capital, living alongside Israel in security and peace.