RAMALLAH, November 21, 2014 (WAFA) - At the closing session of the ‘International Conference of Local Authorities in Solidarity with the Palestinian People’, international participants endorsed the formation of an international network of solidarity with the Palestinian people, under the title, ‘The International Network in Solidarity with the Palestinian Local Authorities.”

The aim of this network is to recruit and mobilize political, economic, social and cultural support for the Palestinian local authorities, to strengthen and develop the prospects of joint cooperation with all international municipalities across the world, as well as to promote solidarity and cooperation between various grassroots organizations.

The membership of this network will open to all local and international bodies, municipalities and their unions’ representatives.

The International participants recommended the formation of a permanent committee in Palestine to unite and coordinate all international solidarity movements with the Palestinian people in order to improve and increase its effectiveness in all areas

They also decided to continue to hold periodic solidarity conferences of international local authorities.

They emphasized the importance and the necessity of building an independent Palestinian state and to support the Palestinian institutions to enable and enhance the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land as well as to enable them to exercise their right to sovereignty over their land and its resources, emphasizing the importance of putting an end to the Israeli occupation theft of Palestinian national resources in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

They agreed on working to enable the Palestinian authorities to control and exploit its resources in order to contribute to the building of a democratic Palestinian society and enable the Palestinians to manage their lives freely.

The international participants emphasized the need for the international community’s various bodies and organizations to uphold their responsibilities and activate and strengthen solidarity with the Palestinian people in order to increase international pressure on Israel and compel it to implement the resolutions of the international legitimacy.

They urged the international community to hold Israel responsible for disrupting the peace process and all international efforts exerted toward achieving the two-state solution.

The international delegations expressed their full solidarity with the Palestinian people, stressing that they are not alone and that it is the duty of all nations to stand by them in their struggle for freedom and independence.

They agreed to enhance and promote the collaboration agreements and coordination between their cities’ local authorities and their Palestinian counterparts.

Regarding the issue of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails, the international participants stressed that Israel’s policy of dealing with political prisoners is illegal and unacceptable, urging it to release all prisoners through negotiations.

They expressed sorrow over the large of number of civilians killed during the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza, which claimed the lives of more than two thousand Palestinians, including women and children, “we wept when Israel slaughtered more than two thousand Gazans,’ stressing that Gaza must remain a top priority for the local and international bodies and urged Israel to lift its blockade.

Regarding the ongoing Israeli escalation in Jerusalem, the international representatives stressed that actions must be taken to stop the Israeli injustice committed against Palestinians living in Jerusalem, stressing that if the Israeli injustice continues, all the world countries will boycott Israel.

They stressed that the symbolic recognition of the state of Palestine undertaken in Europe and the rest of the world countries plays a significant role in motivating the world countries to find a solution to the Palestinian issue.

The conference was run under the auspices of the United Nations International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, under the title ‘Local Authorities at the Heart of Palestine’ and included discussions,  consultations, and the signing of several cooperation agreements  between Palestinian local authorities and representatives of international authorities from over 250 countries from across the world Continents.

T.R.