Mr. Chair,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. At the outset, the Group expresses its deep appreciation to the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) for its crucial inputs to the Secretary-General's report submitted under agenda item 59, as well as for its comprehensive presentation of this report today.

Mr. Chair,

3. The Group thanks the Secretary-General for his sobering report which highlights the cumulative ramifications of repressive and unlawful Israeli practices and apartheid policies against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Syrian population in the occupied Syrian Golan. The systematic violations being perpetrated by the occupying Power are exacerbating already-fragile living conditions and severely obstructing the social and economic development of the respective populations. And, today, we renew our unwavering and unequivocal support for the Palestinian people, their legitimate aspirations and inalienable rights, including their right to self-determination, and our support for their economic development efforts in the face of immense and existential challenges, and renew also our support for the Syrian population in the occupied Syrian Golan.

Mr. Chair,

4. The Group is gravely concerned about the dramatic deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, which has been reflected in the ESCWA report as: "a catastrophic situation for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, who were already living in dire social and economic conditions in view of 57 years of occupation and 17 years of closures of Gaza, and rendered much of Gaza uninhabitable, with tens of thousands losing their lives, the majority of whom reportedly were women and children, and 1.7 million Palestinians displaced".

5. It is an undeniable fact that development in Palestine and the Syrian Golan will continue to be hampered and obstructed for as long as the illegal Israeli occupation continues. It is extremely distressing, as indicated in the recent World Bank and the relevant UN reports, that Israel's ongoing military assault on Gaza and the intensification of Israeli restrictions throughout the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, have inflicted the greatest damage to the Palestinian economy, including, inter alia, elevated levels of unemployment, total collapse of the education system, as well as rising poverty and soaring food insecurity, pushing nearly 2 million people in Gaza to the edge of widespread famine.

6. The Group welcomes the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 and resolution ES-10/24 adopted by the General Assembly in this regard. We underscore in specific the Court's determinations that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must be brought to an end as rapidly as possible, and that it continues exploiting the natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for its own benefit and for the benefit of its illegal settlements, in breach of its obligation to respect the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people over their natural resources, thus, impeding the exercise of their right to self-determination, and the realization of sustainable development.

7. In this regard, the Group stresses the imperative of immediate ceasefire and the upholding of obligations under international law, including in implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions towards enabling the Palestinian people and the Syrian Population in the Syrian Golan to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, which is the right of all peoples and a core expression of self-determination, and ensure that they are not left behind, a commitment made in the 2030 Agenda that we cannot forsake.

8. To this end, the international community should shoulder its responsibilities and engage in collective and multilateral efforts to bring an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and of the Syrian Golan. This includes undertaking serious and concrete measures of accountability in accordance with their respective international law obligations and the relevant UN resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 497, 2334 and General Assembly resolution ES-10/24, in order to bring to an end to all the violations and atrocities being perpetrated by the occupying Power, including all the illegal settlement activities and all theft of natural resources.

9. In closing, the Group reaffirms, as the Secretary-General's report has concluded, that adherence to international law is fundamental for securing justice and peace for all those living in the region, including Palestinians and Syrians who have suffered under illegal occupation for far too long.

I thank you.