New York-Sana
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the need to continue working to find a settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions with the aim of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state.
Wafa Agency reported that Guterres stressed, in a report he submitted to members of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the assessment of the assistance received by the Palestinian people between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, that “the absence of a political process aimed at ending the occupation” constitutes the biggest obstacle to Palestinian development, stressing that Continuing to work for a settlement on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions with the aim of ending the occupation and establishing a contiguous Palestinian state with viable territories and sovereignty over the June 4, 1967 line
Guterres stated that "Israel's settlement expansion, demolitions, movement restrictions, and other manifestations of protracted military occupation severely impact the humanitarian, economic, social and political life of Palestinians."
Guterres noted that by the end of 2020, about two million Palestinians were suffering from severe food insecurity, including 1.4 million in the Gaza Strip and 600,000 in the West Bank, an estimated increase of 300,000 people compared to 2019.
Guterres called for the collection of $417 million to secure basic foodstuffs, protection, health care, shelter, water and sanitation services for 1.8 million Palestinians, as part of the humanitarian response plan for the occupied Palestinian territory for the year 2021.