黑料社区

Palestine at the UN: A new chapter in the quest for statehood

Palestine at the UN: A new chapter in the quest for statehood
Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization addresses the 43rd session of the UN General Assembly on Dec. 13, 1988. (UN)
Short Url
Updated 09 October 2024

Palestine at the UN: A new chapter in the quest for statehood

Palestine at the UN: A new chapter in the quest for statehood
  • Palestine鈥檚 first UN General Assembly seat marks progress toward two-state solution

RIYADH: More than 140 of the UN鈥檚 193 member states have now recognized the state of Palestine.

Sept. 10 marked a significant moment as Palestine secured a seat at a UN General Assembly for the first time in history.

This was achieved despite opposition from Israel in Palestine鈥檚 quest for statehood.聽

黑料社区鈥檚 Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during his address at the General Assembly: 鈥淲e affirm our appreciation for the countries that have recently recognized Palestine.

鈥淲e urge all nations to show the courage to make the same decision and join the international consensus represented by the 149 countries that recognize Palestine,鈥 he said.

A groundbreaking development occurred recently when Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced the launch of the 鈥淕lobal Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution鈥 on Sept. 26.

This alliance, endorsed by Arab and Islamic countries along with European partners, aims to advance the two-state solution as a means to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The inauguration of the alliance marks a significant milestone in international efforts toward lasting peace in the region.




黑料社区鈥檚 Minister for Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

A resolution was passed on May 10 of this year to acknowledge the review of Palestine鈥檚 UN membership in the UN Security Council, as well as the extension of additional privileges to Palestine, which currently has observer status.

黑料社区 expressed its support for the UN General Assembly resolution, confirming that the state of Palestine meets the requirements for becoming a UN member state.

The recognition of Palestine as a state has been a gradual process, with different countries recognizing it at different times. Most recognitions occurred after the Palestinian declaration of independence in 1988, while others joined in subsequent years.

Most African countries recognized Palestine soon after 1988, especially those in the non-aligned movement, such as Egypt, Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Morocco and Sudan.

Some European countries recognized Palestine over the years, with the most recent trend of recognition from EU countries.

In 2024, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Norway and Armenia recognized the state of Palestine.

Iceland joined in 2011, Sweden in 2014 and the Vatican City in 2015.

Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia (later split into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia), recognized Palestine in 1988.

Other countries such as Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, joined in the 1990s.

Asian recognition also largely began in 1988, with widespread support among Muslim-majority countries and the socialist bloc.

These countries include 黑料社区, China, North Korea, Qatar, Bahrain, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Afghanistan and Yemen.聽

The state of Palestine will be granted additional rights and privileges in participation following the 79th session of the General Assembly, without affecting its current rights and privileges.

One of these rights includes the right to actively participate in conferences and meetings organized by the UN and other international bodies, as well as the right to propose and present amendments both orally and on behalf of a group.聽

The two-state solution has long been regarded as a potential path to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With recent developments and initiatives, there is renewed hope for progress toward this goal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres captured the urgency of the situation, warning that the repercussions of the devastation in Gaza could escalate into a broader conflict with catastrophic outcomes for the entire region.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas commended the General Assembly for adopting a resolution that called on Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories within 12 months, during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 26.

黑料社区 reaffirmed its commitment that it will not form diplomatic ties with Israel until significant advances are made regarding Palestine.聽

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sept. 18 that the Kingdom would not recognize Israel without a Palestinian state.

鈥淭he Kingdom will not stop its tireless work toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,鈥 the crown prince said.

This position underscores 黑料社区鈥檚 unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the realization of a viable two-state solution.

It is a continuation of historical Saudi efforts to help achieve Palestinian statehood, including the Arab Peace Initiative 鈥 A comprehensive plan to end Arab-Israeli conflict first proposed in 2002.


US biker gang running security at contentious Gaza aid sites聽

US biker gang running security at contentious Gaza aid sites聽
Updated 49 min 40 sec ago

US biker gang running security at contentious Gaza aid sites聽

US biker gang running security at contentious Gaza aid sites聽
  • GHF has come under international scrutiny because of the hundreds of Palestinians that have been killed while seeking assistance at its distribution sites
  • Edward Ahmed Mitchell: Putting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the Ku Klux Klan in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan

LONDON: Members of an anti-Islamic US biker gang are running security at contentious Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites in the besieged enclave.

Infidels Motorcycle Club members are working for UG Solutions, a private contractor that provides security for GHF in Gaza, a BBC report has revealed.

GHF has come under international scrutiny because of the hundreds of Palestinians that have been killed while seeking assistance at its distribution sites

The biker gang Infidels MC was set up by US military veterans of the Iraq war in 2006 and members comport themselves as latter-day crusaders.

鈥淧utting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the Ku Klux Klan in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan. It makes no sense whatsoever,鈥 said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading Muslim civil rights organization in the US.

鈥淚t鈥檚 bound to lead to violence, and that鈥檚 exactly what we鈥檝e seen happen in Gaza.鈥

The motorbike gang鈥檚 leader, Johnny 鈥淭az鈥 Mulford, is a former sergeant in the US Army and is now the 鈥渃ountry team leader鈥 running UG Solutions鈥 contract in Gaza.

Social media posts show that in May, just two weeks before traveling to Gaza, Mulford sought to recruit US military veterans who follow him on Facebook, inviting anyone who 鈥渃an still shoot, move and communicate鈥 to apply.

At least 40 of about 320 people hired to work for UG Solutions in Gaza were recruited from Infidels MC, according to an estimate by a former contractor.

UG Solutions is paying each contractor $980 per day, including expenses, rising to $1,580 per day for team leaders at GHF鈥檚 鈥渟afe distribution sites.鈥

One leader of a team in Gaza overseeing site security, Josh Miller, posted a photo of a group of contractors in Gaza with a banner reading 鈥淢ake Gaza Great Again.鈥

Motorbike gang leader Mulford has the date 1095 tattooed across his chest. He has a crusader cross tattooed on his right forearm and another on his left upper arm along with the word 鈥淚nfidels.鈥

鈥淲hen you see anti-Muslim bigots today celebrating 1095, celebrating the crusades, they are celebrating the wholesale massacre of Muslims 鈥 the erasure of Muslims and Jews from the holy city of Jerusalem,鈥 said Ahmed Mitchell from the US Muslim civil rights organization CAIR.

He said the gang bore all the hallmarks of anti-Muslim hate groups which for decades have used the name 鈥淚nfidels.鈥

Scenes of chaos and pandemonium are commonplace at GHF distribution sites in Gaza. Up to the start of this month, 1,135 children, women and men have been killed near the sites while seeking food, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The UN has said most of the killings appear to have been carried out by Israeli security forces. Incidents where civilians were harmed while seeking aid are 鈥渦nder review by the competent authorities in the IDF,鈥 the Israeli military said.

UGS has denied allegations that its security contractors also fired on civilians and that it put people seeking food in danger due to incompetent leadership. However, the company has also tellingly admitted that warning shots have been used to disperse crowds.


Nine dead, 118 wounded in Israeli strikes on rebel-held Yemen: Houthis

Nine dead, 118 wounded in Israeli strikes on rebel-held Yemen: Houthis
Updated 33 min 41 sec ago

Nine dead, 118 wounded in Israeli strikes on rebel-held Yemen: Houthis

Nine dead, 118 wounded in Israeli strikes on rebel-held Yemen: Houthis
  • 鈥淎mbulances and rescue teams are still searching for the missing,鈥 Houthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi posted on X
  • Sanaa residents said the attack was on a hideout between two mountains

SANAA: At least nine people were killed and more than 100 wounded in Israeli strikes on Yemen鈥檚 capital Sanaa and Jawf province on Wednesday, the militants said in a statement.
鈥淭he death toll has reached nine martyrs and 118 wounded in a preliminary tally as civil defense, ambulances and rescue teams are still searching for the missing,鈥 Houthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi posted on X.
Israel struck Sanaa on Wednesday, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said, in an attack that witnesses said targeted the Houthi defense ministry.

Israeli media said Israel was carrying out strikes on Yemen but there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Sanaa residents told Reuters the attack was on a hideout between two mountains that is used as a command and control headquarters. The extent of any damage was not immediately clear.

Israeli army radio said that among the targets of the attack were the Houthi headquarters and military camps.

The strikes are the latest in more than a year of attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

They have also fired missiles toward Israel, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.


Missing limbs and loved ones, Gazan children begin treatment journey abroad

Missing limbs and loved ones, Gazan children begin treatment journey abroad
Updated 10 September 2025

Missing limbs and loved ones, Gazan children begin treatment journey abroad

Missing limbs and loved ones, Gazan children begin treatment journey abroad
  • Omar was the lone survivor of an Israeli airstrike that flattened his grandparents鈥 home in Gaza in December 2023, killing his parents, sister and extended family
  • Fourteen-year-old Amir Hajjaj only remembers snapshots of the night his world changed: a red flash, an explosion, then silence

BEIRUT: Six-year-old Omar Abu Kuwaik still believes that by his next birthday, his missing hand will have grown back.
He is one of thousands of Palestinian children who have lost limbs and loved ones in Israel鈥檚 bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be big again when I turn seven,鈥 he tells his aunt, softly rubbing his left arm, which ends just below his elbow.
Omar was the lone survivor of an Israeli airstrike that flattened his grandparents鈥 home in Gaza in December 2023, killing his parents, sister and extended family.
He is among a small group of Gazan families who arrived in the Lebanese capital Beirut earlier this month for medical treatment.
His aunt Maha Abu Kuwaik says he now calls her 鈥渕ama.鈥
鈥淗e鈥檚 scared of everything now 鈥 sleep, doctors, any loud sound. He asks me not to be sad. 鈥楽mile, Mama,鈥 he says. 鈥業 don鈥檛 like it when people cry鈥,鈥 she told Reuters, her voice cracking.
Omar was pulled from the rubble with severe burns, a shattered leg, and his left hand already severed by the blast.
With Gaza鈥檚 hospitals in ruins, Maha sought help from the World Health Organization, which helped evacuate Omar to Egypt for basic treatment before his transfer to Lebanon.
Maha had to leave her own children in Gaza to accompany Omar.
鈥淚t was the hardest decision of my life 鈥 to leave my sons in a war zone,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut Omar had no one else. I couldn鈥檛 leave him.鈥
Doctors in Beirut are now considering a prosthetic hand and reconstructive surgery for Omar.

鈥橸OU鈥橰E A HERO鈥
Fourteen-year-old Amir Hajjaj only remembers snapshots of the night his world changed: a red flash, an explosion, then silence.
鈥淚 was just sitting on a chair,鈥 he said softly, 鈥渢hen everything turned red, and I was on the ground. I didn鈥檛 even know what happened.鈥
An Israeli strike hit his family鈥檚 home in northern Gaza in late 2023. Shrapnel pierced both his shoulders, his leg, and his hand. He bled for hours as Israeli tanks shelled their street during their escape, Amir鈥檚 older sister Alaa said.
鈥淗e kept saying, 鈥楲eave me, save yourselves鈥,鈥 Alaa recalled. 鈥淏ut how could I leave him behind?鈥
Amir bled for four days in an overcrowded hospital. By the time doctors got to him, it was too late to save the fingers of his right hand.
He was evacuated to Cairo, where the Palestine Children鈥檚 Relief Fund later arranged for his transfer to Beirut. He is now awaiting nerve treatment and physiotherapy.
鈥淗e tries to hide his hand in photos. I tell him, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a hero,鈥欌 Alaa told Reuters.
At least 45,000 children have been wounded in Gaza, many of them suffering life-changing injuries, according to the United Nations Children鈥檚 Fund (UNICEF). Over 18,000 children have been killed in the war, among a total death toll of 64,000, it said.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a cross-border attack into Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel. It controls all entry and exit from the enclave and is pursuing an offensive in Gaza City despite mounting international pressure.
More recent efforts to evacuate civilians have repeatedly stalled due to relentless airstrikes, decimated infrastructure and shifting Israeli evacuation routes.
Olfat Abdulkarim Abdallah, a mother of three, arrived in Lebanon with her two wounded daughters: Mays, 5, who has three fractures and a torn nerve in her leg, and Aya, 7, who lost her right leg.
An Israeli strike tore through their home in Gaza on November 8, 2023. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even hear the explosion,鈥 Olfat said, her voice barely above a whisper.
鈥淚 only heard Aya scream. Mays didn鈥檛 make a sound. She just looked down at the blood pouring out of her.鈥
Olfat clings to the hope that her daughters鈥 pain might finally give way to healing. Doctors at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children鈥檚 Fund said Aya will need a new limb, while Mays might walk again with physiotherapy alone.
鈥淚鈥檓 holding onto the possibility that this treatment will give them a better life than the horrors they鈥檝e lived,鈥 their mother said.


Qatar digs through the rubble of Israel鈥檚 attack on Hamas leaders in Doha

A picture taken from a distance shows in the background the damaged building housing members of Hamas's political bureau.
A picture taken from a distance shows in the background the damaged building housing members of Hamas's political bureau.
Updated 10 September 2025

Qatar digs through the rubble of Israel鈥檚 attack on Hamas leaders in Doha

A picture taken from a distance shows in the background the damaged building housing members of Hamas's political bureau.
  • Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that its top leaders survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed, including the son of Khalil Al-Hayya

DOHA: Qatari security forces and emergency fire personnel deployed Wednesday around the site of an Israeli attack the previous day on Hamas鈥 political leaders who had gathered in Doha to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Tuesday鈥檚 strike on a building in the Qatari capital killed at least six people in a neighborhood that is home to foreign embassies and schools.
The strike on the territory of a US ally drew widespread condemnation from countries in the Mideast and beyond. It also marked a dramatic escalation in the region and risked upending talks aimed at ending the war and freeing hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
At least 10 bombs used
An Israeli official said at least 10 bombs were used in the raid. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the attack, the official said about 10 planes participated in the mission and dropped about 10 missiles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he had made the decision on Monday to carry out the strike. The official did not know how long the mission had been planned, but said the timing was connected to 鈥渙perational opportunity鈥 鈥 with Israel knowing that many Hamas officials would be gathered in an area relatively easy to hit without threatening Qatari civilians.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar鈥檚 prime minister and foreign minister, called out Netanyahu over the attack.
鈥淪uch hostile behavior reflects only the barbarism of Netanyahu,鈥 the minister said while consoling the family of a Qatari security official killed in Israel鈥檚 strike, according to the Foreign Ministry. He added that Netanyahu 鈥渨as pushing the region toward irreparable instability, undermining international laws and frameworks.鈥
Sheikh Mohammed also 鈥渃riticized Netanyahu for previously declaring intentions to reshape the Middle East, questioning whether this was also meant as a threat to reshape the Arabian Gulf,鈥 the statement said.
At the scene of the attack
From a distance beyond the security cordon, the buildings that had housed the Hamas leadership in Doha could be seen still standing. But one room in particular appeared to have been the target of the strike 鈥 its walls had collapsed, and gray rubble could be seen inside.
Security forces and emergency personnel surrounded the site and blocked traffic.
A gas station to one side did not appear to have suffered any fire damage. The windows of the building next to the one targeted remained intact.
Israel hasn鈥檛 specified what it used to carry out the strike, beyond saying it employed precision-guided weapons meant to minimize collateral damage.
Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that its top leaders survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed, including the son of Khalil Al-Hayya 鈥 Hamas鈥 leader for Gaza and its top negotiator 鈥 as well as three bodyguards and the head of Al-Hayya鈥檚 office. Hamas, which has sometimes only confirmed the assassination of its leaders months later, offered no immediate proof that Al-Hayya and other senior figures had survived.
Hitting an American ally
Qatar maintains a major arsenal of air defense systems, including both American-made Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD batteries. However, it didn鈥檛 immediately appear that Qatari air defenses engaged during the attack, which occurred just before 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohammed said Tuesday that 鈥渢he Israeli enemy used weapons that were not detected by radar.鈥
He did not elaborate but the statement suggests Israeli fighter jets could have launched so-called 鈥渟tand-off鈥 missiles at a distance to strike the site without actually entering Qatari airspace.
The United States has said it warned Qatar before the strike. Qatar disputes that, with Sheikh Mohammed saying that 鈥渢he Americans sent a message 10 minutes after the attacks took place, saying they were informed that there was going to be a missile attack on the state of Qatar.鈥
Qatar is also home to the US military鈥檚 forward headquarters for its Mideast-based Central Command. The headquarters, located at the sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base, also has American-run radars and defense systems and recently hosted US President Donald Trump on his tour of the region in May.
Qatar鈥檚 advisory Shoura Council condemned what it described as a 鈥渃riminal, treacherous and cowardly attack鈥 which it said 鈥渞epresents a flagrant and ongoing breach of all international laws and norms.鈥
Stalled Gaza talks
The leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, traveled Wednesday to Qatar.
In recent days, the UAE warned Israel that any effort to annex the West Bank, part of land the Palestinians want for their future state, would be a 鈥渞ed line鈥 that would threaten the Abraham Accords.
Qatar鈥檚 ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, welcomed Sheikh Mohammed.
The state-run Qatar News Agency said Sheikh Tamim held a series of calls with world leaders, including Trump.
Sheikh Tamim condemned the attack and according to a readout of the call, said that Qatar holds Israel 鈥渞esponsible for its repercussions, in light of the policy of aggression they adopt that threatens the region鈥檚 stability and obstructs efforts to de-escalate and reach sustainable diplomatic solutions.鈥


UNHCR warns of humanitarian funding shortfall as Zakat App offers direct aid to refugees

UNHCR warns of humanitarian funding shortfall as Zakat App offers direct aid to refugees
Updated 10 September 2025

UNHCR warns of humanitarian funding shortfall as Zakat App offers direct aid to refugees

UNHCR warns of humanitarian funding shortfall as Zakat App offers direct aid to refugees
  • Kabbara told Arab News that 11 million people had lost access to essential services and assistance due to the shortage of funding for aid agencies such as UNHCR

SHARJAH: The world is facing its worst humanitarian crises with the least funding on record, UNHCR Communications Officer Khaled Kabbara warned on Wednesday, revealing that only 23 percent of the agency鈥檚 $10 billion appeal has been met this year.

Kabbara told Arab News that 11 million people had lost access to essential services and assistance due to the shortage of funding for aid agencies such as UNHCR. 

鈥淲e are only able to respond to either the needs of 23 percent of the people who are in urgent need of support, or to the 23 percent of the needs of these people. It is a situation that we have to endure, but we also command the courage of our colleagues,鈥 he said.

鈥淯nfortunately UNHCR in 2024 alone responded to over 43 emergencies in 27 countries, and hope is one of the most important things that we can try to highlight through our work.  

鈥淗ope is one of the most important elements that really restores people鈥檚 faith in humanity, but also enables them to be inspired to continue their resilience and achieve greater and achieve a better world,鈥 he said. 

Speaking at the International Government Communication Forum 2025 in Sharjah, Kabbara urged the audience not to underestimate the impact of their involvement, no matter how small.   

鈥淚t definitely adds up to the general efforts we run globally,鈥 he said.

鈥淏ehind every number lies a person,鈥 Kabbara said. 鈥淭here is a story of a family who had to leave everything overnight and seek refuge in order to protect their loved ones.鈥

Kabbara was joined by Issa Al-Habib, a content creator, Jennifer Greco, account director at Adyen, and Maywand Jabarkhyl, CEO of the Fatima Bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative, at a panel discussion titled 鈥淨uality of Life for Refugees Starts with an Idea and a Mission.鈥 

Greco explained how Adyen, a payment service provider company, is working to develop a form of donation that is sustainable and makes it easy for customers to donate to refugees. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 about lowering the barrier for private companies so they can support refugees without the operational burden,鈥 he said, adding that so far Adyen had collected $25 million globally and was committed to $100 million by 2030. 

Al-Habib, a content creator who partnered with the UNHCR in Ramadan, commended their Zakat program and said that it allowed him to directly support refugees in need.

鈥淭he app calculated my Zakat and showed me how to allocate it. It was so easy, and I knew exactly who I was helping,鈥 he said. 

The UNHCR Refugee Zakat Fund App was officially launched in 2021. The platform was developed to facilitate Zakat and Sadaqah donations worldwide.