Solidarity with Palestine
The situation in Gaza, Palestine, in the current onslaught by Israeli forces, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including mostly children and women. The Israeli forces have unleashed indiscriminate attacks on medical facilities, hospitals, civilians, and civilian infrastructure, including cutting off essential human supplies like food, water, medicines, fuel, etc.
UCLG-MEWA is determined to advocate and support the rights of Palestinian people as part of its broader constituency in the Middle East and West Asia Region.
As an International organization of local and regional governments (LRGs), UCLG-MEWA stands with the LRGs in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine, which have been at the forefront in the face of this military offensive by Israel and are resolute in addressing the local needs.
Historical Background
The current situation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, did not start after the unprecedented events of October 7, 2023. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, in a statement while addressing the UN Security Council on October 24, 2023 said,
“The Attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”
Please check these sources out to learn more about the origins and evolution of the Palestine issue: [1] [2]
Abdullah Anati, Director of APLA, participated online in the UCLG World Council held in Konya on October 26-28 and informed the participants about the tragedy in Palestine: UCLG World Council’23
Attending the UCLG-MEWA Extraordinary General Assembly online, Yahya Sarraj reported on the latest situation in Gaza: UCLG-MEWA Extraordinary General Assembly’23
Speaking at the 5th UCLG Cultural Summit in Dublin, Ireland on 28 November – 1 December 2023, Issa Kassis, Mayor of Ramallah, discussed cultural resilience in the context of occupation: 5. UCLG Culture Summit
Abdullah Anati, Director of APLA, participated online in the UCLG-MEWA Retreat Istanbul’23 held on December 19-21 and spoke about Palestinian local governments: UCLG-MEWA Retreat Istanbul’23
UCLG-MEWA has adopted several declarations and calls on behalf of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
October 17, 2023: “Standing Together for Gaza: UCLG-MEWA’s Call sor Solidarity”
November 1, 2023: “UCLG-MEWA Statement on the Current Situation in Palestine”
November 22, 2023: “UCLG-MEWA General Assembly Gaza Statement”
October 11, 2023: Rafah Municipality Statement
October 15, 2023: Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities Statement
October 16, 2023: Al-Khalil Municipality Statement
October 24, 2023: Ramallah Municipality Statement
November 2, 2023: Update on the Ongoing Israeli Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine, Ramallah Municipality
November 6, 2023: Gaza’s 30 Days of Heartbreak: A War’s Tragic Toll on Lives and Dreams, APLA
November 9, 2023: Israeli Aggression’s Toll on Palestinian Local Authorities, APLA
November 16, 2023: Do you Still Believe in the Human Rights?, APLA
November 29, 2023: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and Urgent Call for Action, Ramallah Municipality
December 10, 2023: APLAs letter to our Partners on the International Human Rights Day, APLA
December 21, 2023: Christmas Message, APLA
December 23, 2023: Christmas Message of Unity, Hope and Global Solidarity, Ramallah Municipality
December 27, 2023: Palestine Exits 2023 as the Deadliest Year in Recent History, APLA
February 20, 2024: Gaza: Social Justice Under Siege, APLA
March 21, 2024: Sorrowful reminder on International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, APLA
April 17, 2024: Palestinian Prisoners Day and Inhumane Treatment, APLA
May 15, 2024: The Nakba of Palestine: From 1948 and Deepening Ever Since, APLA
May 15, 2024: 76 Years of Nakba – May 15th 1948-May 15th 2024, Ramallah Municipality
June 12, 2024: Palestine’s Plight on World Day Against Child Labour, APLA
September 21, 2024: International Day of Peace: The Illusion of Peace for Palestine, APLA
Call on People of the free world to urgently protect the Palestinian people against genocide, APLA