Arab Group Condemns Israeli Actions at UNSC

The Arab Group at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as illegal Israeli measures in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning they constitute serious violations of international law and undermine prospects for peace.

Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group during a council session on the Middle East and the Palestinian issue, Egypt’s envoy Ihab Awad denounced the expansion of Israeli settlements, settler violence and what he called systematic efforts to displace Palestinians from their land.

He also criticized Israeli actions targeting humanitarian organizations, civil society groups and United Nations bodies, particularly the UNRWA, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.

“The Arab Group condemns the continued occupation, settlement expansion and measures aimed at altering the demographic and legal status of the occupied territories,” Awad said, citing restrictions on the Palestinian Authority and land registration policies in the occupied West Bank.

The group further criticized what it described as discriminatory legislation passed by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as repeated incursions into Jerusalem’s holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, under Israeli security protection.

The Arab Group called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately halt what it termed systematic violations across the Palestinian territories and to comply fully with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2803. It urged the implementation of ceasefire arrangements in Gaza, the opening of crossings and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, alongside efforts toward early recovery and reconstruction.

Awad stressed the need to unify the West Bank and Gaza under a single government and legal framework, reaffirming that lasting peace depends on ending the Israeli occupation and enabling Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination.

He reiterated support for a two-state solution based on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

On Lebanon, the Arab Group welcomed a U.S.-brokered extension of a cessation of hostilities for three weeks, describing it as a step toward de-escalation. It also backed a Lebanese initiative to launch negotiations aimed at ending hostilities and Israeli occupation.

The group urged Israel to comply with a ceasefire, halt attacks on Lebanon and fully withdraw from Lebanese territory in line with Resolution 1701. It condemned Israeli strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure, as well as incidents affecting the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission.

The statement reaffirmed support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling for the state to exercise full control over its territory.

The Arab Group also condemned Israeli actions in Syria, calling for an immediate withdrawal from all occupied Syrian lands, including the Golan Heights, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions.

 Furthermore, Awad said the Arab Group denounced what it described as “unjustified Iranian attacks” against several Arab countries, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq, calling them violations of sovereignty and international law.

The group urged the Security Council to uphold its responsibility in maintaining regional and international peace and security, ensure accountability for attacks on civilian infrastructure, and implement Resolution 2817, including demanding that Iran cease such actions.

“The Arab Group affirms that a just and lasting peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved through the imposition of faits accomplis,” Awad said. “It requires addressing the root causes of the conflict, ending occupation, and respecting international law and United Nations resolutions.”