Palestinian envoy asserts Gaza is 'not a piece of land waiting to be grabbed'

In a clear statement of principle at the United Nations, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour firmly rejected any notion of Gaza's dispossession, asserting its integral place within the Palestinian homeland. Addressing the UN Committee on Palestinian Rights on Tuesday, Mansour stated, "Gaza is not a piece of land that is hanging in the air for anyone to grab. It belongs to its people. It belongs to the Palestinian people." His remarks served as a direct rebuttal to any plans for permanent Israeli control or territorial redesign in the aftermath of the war, setting a foundational claim for all political discussions.

From ceasefire to complete Israeli withdrawal

While acknowledging the current Gaza ceasefire and the cooperation of involved parties, including the United States, Ambassador Mansour stressed that the truce must be durable and lead to tangible outcomes. "We want to see the beginning of the withdrawal of the Israeli forces to be out completely of the Gaza Strip," he declared, welcoming the transition into the second phase of the October ceasefire agreement. He warned that the calm "must not be fragile" and insisted Israel must not continue to "kill our people as they wish." His demands outline the Palestinian vision for the post-war phase: an end to Israeli military presence as a prerequisite for stability.

Humanitarian access and the vital role of UNRWA

A central pillar of Mansour's address was the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian operations. He called for assistance to "reach all corners of the Gaza Strip" and defended the critical work of aid organizations, specifically the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). "Humanitarians, including the United Nations, including UNRWA... should be allowed to continue carrying their mandates and their responsibilities," he said. This call comes amid repeated Israeli restrictions on aid and a campaign to curtail UNRWA's operations, which Mansour and other officials view as an attempt to dismantle the institutional framework supporting Palestinian refugees.

The imperative of Palestinian territorial unity

Looking beyond immediate crises, Ambassador Mansour articulated the essential political horizon: the reunification of Palestinian territory. He reaffirmed that the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip "constitute a single territorial unit" that must be unified under the governance of the Palestinian Authority. This position directly opposes Israeli policies that have enforced a separation between Gaza and the West Bank for over 15 years. Mansour argued that Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza is not only a Palestinian demand but "essential for any international stabilization effort," framing it as a necessary step for any legitimate and lasting peace process, a view strongly supported by nations like Türkiye.