RAMALLAH, April 15, 2026 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the adoption of two resolutions in favor of the State of Palestine by the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during its 224th session held in Paris, titled “Occupied Palestine, and Cultural and Educational Institutions.”
In a statement, the Ministry affirmed that the adoption of the two resolutions underscores the rights of the Palestinian people and the responsibility of the international community toward the occupied Palestinian Territory and its protection against systematic and ongoing Israeli campaigns targeting its heritage, history, and identity, including attempts at falsification and distortion, as well as efforts to alter the Palestinian identity and obscure facts.
The Ministry reiterated its rejection of all measures aimed at altering the status of occupied Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, and threatening its historic and legal status quo, stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over the land of the State of Palestine, particularly Jerusalem.
The Ministry stressed the importance of these resolutions in protecting Palestinian historical, cultural, and heritage sites and preserving cultural heritage, as well as confronting deliberate assaults and violations against archaeological and historical sites, including those listed as World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger, particularly occupied Jerusalem and its walls, and Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which are subjected to ongoing excavation and digging activities that threaten their very existence.
It also warned of similar threats facing the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Bethlehem, among other heritage sites.
The Ministry stressed that safeguarding and protecting educational and cultural institutions is a priority on both the Palestinian and international agendas, in addition to the need for the reconstruction and development of the Gaza Strip.
It noted the resolution’s condemnation of the continued Israeli closure of Gaza’s crossings, which prevents the delivery of humanitarian aid.
It expressed appreciation for the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as well as the positions of brotherly and friendly countries that sponsored and supported the two resolutions in favor of the State of Palestine.
The Ministry called on the international community and UNESCO to intervene immediately and demand that Israel, the occupying power, halt its actions against Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian Territory, and to implement international law and relevant international resolutions, including UNESCO decisions calling for the dispatch of a fact-finding mission and the protection of Palestinian cultural, historical, and religious heritage.
It warned that failure to implement UNESCO resolutions and enforce the provisions of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions encourage and enable the occupation authorities to continue their crimes.
T.R.
