Palestine's deputy UN envoy told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Palestinians are unfairly expected to demonstrate their dedication to peace while undergoing mass killing, displacement, and annexation, insisting that "occupation must end."
Addressing the council during a session on Palestine, Majed Bamya recalled the widespread condemnations that followed the October 7 events, including international demands for hostage releases and statements asserting Israel's right to self-defense. He pointed out that Palestinians have never received similar backing following mass violence against them, asking whether anyone ever acknowledged their right to react after a massacre. He stated that this recognition was never offered before or after October 7, regardless of whether 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, or 70,000 Palestinians were killed.
Bamya emphasized that Palestinians raised early warnings about impending massacres, displacement, and annexation, choosing to respond by seeking diplomatic solutions. He stated that Palestinians sought protection rather than justification for violence, and justice rather than vengeance, yet remain the party pressured to demonstrate a commitment to peace.
Describing the scale of destruction in Gaza, Bamya reported that "entire multi-generational" families have been wiped out, while surviving residents are continuously forced to flee without time to grieve. He added that 92% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.
The envoy also highlighted escalation in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where more than 1,000 Palestinians have been attacked over three years. He noted that approximately 6,000 settler attacks have taken place since the start of this year alone.
Bamya reaffirmed Palestinian endorsement of the ceasefire plan and the Security Council resolution supporting it, which were grounded in core principles: no bloodshed, no occupation, no annexation, and no forcible displacement. He stated that Israel continues to oppose every one of these conditions.
Highlighting the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, Bamya noted that most of its employees have gone unpaid for 15 months, questioning how many member states could maintain an operating government under identical circumstances. He said Israel demands reforms while simultaneously obstructing them, insists on disarmament while its forces continue killing and arming settlers, and claims security concerns while denying security to Palestinians, calling the dynamic "permanent subjugation" rather than peace.
Rejecting security as a pretext for territorial expansion, Bamya declared that annexation cannot be justified by security needs in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, or anywhere else, warning that such logic renders borders meaningless and causes perpetual war. He concluded by telling the council that nations are either sovereign states with equal rights and shared security, or eternal warring parties, repeating his stance that the occupation must end.
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