Vietnam has called on Israel to cease the expansion of settlement areas and fulfill its duties in line with international law.

Giv'at Ze'ev, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank (Photo: AFP/VNA)

 “Israel should stop destroying and seizing Palestinian property and complete its duties in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s Resolution 2334,” Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN, said at a UNSC working session on the Middle East situation on September 29.  

 The ambassador expressed his deep concern over the all-round difficulties facing Palestinians, notably the impact of COVID-19 and humanitarian matters, and called on the international community to further assist them to overcome these difficulties.

 He also praised initiatives and measures towards a comprehensive, sustainable and fair solution to the Palestinian issue.

 Quy reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance on backing the two-state solution in order to establish a Palestinian State of independence that exists peacefully together with the State of Israel.

 This is the UNSC’s meeting every three months on Resolution 2334 on the Middle East peace process.

 UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, said over the past three months, the resolution has not been realised fully as Israel continued to expand settlement areas in occupied territories, and violence between relevant sides and civilians still occurred frequently.

 The COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of coordination between the Palestinian and Israel authorities in humanitarian matters have contributed to worsening the already dire humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza, and impacted the health and socio-economic situation in the occupied West Bank, he said.

 In response, the UN has engaged with all sides to ensure the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance.

 Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faces a US$200 million financial shortfall in its 2020 core programme budget, he added.

 A number of participating countries condemned violence over the past time, and urged relevant sides to restrain violent and unilateral acts that would complicate the situation.