Hope that Palestine's application for UN membership will be reconsidered, approved: India

United Nations:

India has expressed hope that the Palestinian bid to become a full member of the United Nations, which was blocked by the US last month, will be reconsidered and its bid to join the world body will be supported.

The US last month vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on a Palestinian bid for full membership of the United Nations. The 15-nation Council had voted on a draft resolution that would have recommended to the 193-member UN General Assembly “the admission of the State of Palestine to membership of the United Nations.”

The resolution received twelve votes in favor, with Switzerland and Great Britain abstaining and the US vetoing. To be adopted, the draft resolution required at least nine members of the Council to vote in favor of the proposal, without vetoes from its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“While we have noted that Palestine's application for membership of the United Nations was not approved by the Security Council due to the above-mentioned veto, I would like to say here from the very beginning that, in line with India's long-standing position, we hope that this would be reconsidered in due course and that Palestine's bid to become a member of the United Nations will be supported,” said Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador.

India was the first non-Arab state to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974 as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. India was also one of the first countries to recognize the State of Palestine in 1988 and in 1996, Delhi opened its Palestinian Authority Representative Office in Gaza, which was later moved to Ramallah in 2003.

Currently, Palestine is a 'non-member observer state' at the UN, a status granted to it by the General Assembly in 2012. This status allows Palestine to participate in the work of the world organization, but cannot vote on resolutions. The only other observer state that is not a member of the UN is the Holy See, which represents the Vatican.

Speaking at a meeting of the General Assembly on Wednesday, Ms Kamboj underlined that the Indian leadership has repeatedly emphasized that only a two-state solution achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between Israel and Palestine on final status issues will ensure lasting peace will yield.

“India is committed to supporting a two-state solution in which the Palestinian people can live freely in an independent country within secure borders, subject to Israel's security needs,” she said.

Ms. Kamboj emphasized that in order to reach a lasting solution, India would urge all parties to promote conditions conducive to the early resumption of direct peace negotiations.

On April 2, Palestine sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requesting that its application for full UN membership be reconsidered. For a state to gain full UN membership, its application must be approved by both the Security Council and the General Assembly, with a two-thirds majority of members present and voting required for the state to be admitted as a full member.

Ms Kamboj noted that the latest conflict in Gaza has been going on for more than six months and the humanitarian crisis it has caused has continued to worsen.

“There is also the potential for increasing instability in the region and beyond,” she added.

Underscoring India's position on the conflict, Ms. Kamboj said the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to widespread loss of civilian lives, especially women and children, and a humanitarian crisis, which is simply unacceptable. India has strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict.

Ms Kamboj said the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7 were shocking and deserve “unequivocal condemnation”.

“There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage taking. India has long taken an uncompromising stand against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. And we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Ms. Kamboj said.

India stressed that it is imperative that humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza be immediately increased to prevent further deterioration of the situation. “We urge all parties to work together in this endeavor,” Ms. Kamboj said, adding that India has provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), citing data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, said that from October 7, 2023 to date, at least 34,568 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 77,765 Palestinians have been injured.

OCHA said that between the afternoons of April 28 and May 1, two Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in Gaza. According to the Israeli army, 262 soldiers have been killed and 1,602 wounded since the ground operation in Gaza began. In addition, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, including 33 children, have been murdered in Israel, the vast majority on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. As of May 1, Israeli authorities estimate that 133 Israelis and foreigners remain trapped in Gaza, including the fatalities whose bodies have been withheld.

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