Statement of the Embassy and Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome, Italy on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735

The Embassy and Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome, welcomes the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735, adopted on 10 June 2024, which calls on all the involved parties to accept a proposed hostage and ceasefire agreement. The implementation of the described agreement that would result in the release of all hostages, the establishment of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and advance a multi-year reconstruction plan must be accepted by Israel and other involved parties.

After 250 days of genocidal war by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, where around 37,000 innocent Palestinians have lost their precious lives (16,000 of whom were children and 17,000 children are now without parents), 84,000 Palestinians have been injured and most of the residential homes and buildings, governmental offices, schools, universities, hospitals, religious centers and other facilities in Gaza have been destroyed along with its ecosystem becoming unlivable, the adoption of the aforementioned resolution has provided a glimmer of hope for the Palestinians.

Although Israel’s permanent representative in the United Nations Security Council claimed that Israel will never return to the ceasefire negotiation table, because Hamas may use it to ‘kill time’ for its own benefit, but the time has come for the US to put pressure on Israel to end the killings and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza as well as invite the involved parties to move forward with negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire, which will ultimately guarantee the security and stability in the region.

The Embassy and Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome, once again emphasizes the importance of accepting, implementing and monitoring the contents of Resolution 2735 that will eventually could lead to the two-state solution (envisioning the unification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority being an integral part of it) in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.