NEW YORK, Feb 19 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tareq Al-Banai has called for confronting the systematic violations and ongoing disregard of the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law by the Israeli occupation.
This came during a statement delivered by Ambassador Al-Banai, Tuesday, as the chair of the Arab group for February, during discussions on the Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations.
Ambassador Al-Banai emphasized the Arab Group's commitment to the work of the committee and the importance of enhancing the UN's role in upholding the principles and objectives of the Charter, and reiterated the group's stance on maintaining an international system based on the full respect of the UN Charter by all states without exception.
He highlighted the Israeli occupation's breaches of the UN Charter, and warned that these violations set dangerous precedents threatening the integrity of the UN, its agencies, and international cooperation.
Al-Banai noted that the committee convenes at a time when the credibility and effectiveness of the UN were being tested, particularly as the Israeli occupying forces continue a genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza for over a year.
The Kuwaiti envoy urged all UN members to ensure that the occupying power fully implements the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Gaza.
Ambassador Al-Banai strongly condemned the Israeli occupation's systematic attacks against the UN and its agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
He also criticized the occupation's declaration of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as persona non grata, describing such unilateral actions as null and void with no legal effect.
He further stressed that the Israeli occupation holds no sovereignty over Jerusalem and has no legal authority to prevent the presence of international organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On sustaining the ceasefire in Gaza, Al-Banai underscored the urgency of intensifying international efforts to increase humanitarian aid and ensure its delivery to all areas of besieged Gaza.
Ambassador Al-Banai also called on the international community to take more effective action to halt the escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, protect Islamic and Christian holy sites, and work towards implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 2728 and 2735, both of which call for a ceasefire.
Al-Banai highlighted the ICJ's legal opinion confirming the illegality of the Israeli occupation, stressing that UN members must work to end the occupation, dismantle illegal settlements, and ensure the removal of settlers from Palestinian land.
He reaffirmed the Arab Group's rejection of any attempts to annex Palestinian territories or forcibly displace Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem, labeling these actions as war crimes under international law.
The Kuwaiti envoy also stressed the importance of implementing ICJ measures related to South Africa's case against the Israeli occupation for violating the Genocide Convention and supporting the International Criminal Court's (ICC) efforts to issue arrest warrants for those accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Al-Banai warned that the UN's inability to halt the massacres in Palestine sends the wrong message, encouraging the occupying power to continue its aggression against the Palestinian people and to commit further crimes in Lebanon.
He also condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinians, as well as against Lebanon and Syria, describing them as violations of the UN Charter, specifically the prohibition on the use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of UN member states.
The Kuwaiti envoy welcomed the announcement of a cessation of hostilities, which took effect on November 27 and has been extended until February 18, urging its full implementation.
He further called for respecting Lebanon's independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, calling for the immediate and complete withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Al-Banai asserted that attempts to uproot the Palestinian people from their homeland would not change historical facts or the Palestinian's right to have an independent Arab state.
Ambassador Al-Banai emphasized the urgent need for all parties to respect the UN Charter and the principles of international law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law to safeguard international peace and security. (end) ast.dss