In a statement released by the National Council on Saturday, October 7, 2023, Mr. Fattouh stated that Israel's refusal of any political process to achieve peace, its continued denial of our people's rights, its refusal to recognize the existence of the Palestinian people, as reiterated by Netanyahu in his recent speech at the United Nations, as well as the legitimisation of new settlement outposts, the illegal seizure of occupied Palestinian lands, giving the colonialists the green light to kill Palestinians and exempting them from any legal accountability, the daily killings and executions in Palestinian cities and towns, the repeated raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacks on worshippers, have ignited the region and caused it to explode which is exactly what we have repeatedly warned the right-wing government about.

Mr Fattouh, who is now in Gaza, went on to say that our people in the Palestinian territories and in the diaspora are one, and they have the right to defend themselves and their land and protect their religious sanctities. He added that resistance is a legitimate right for all people under occupation and persecution, including the Palestinian people, who are the only people suffering from the racism and fascism of occupation.

Mr Fattouh called for urgent intervention by the Security Council and the United Nations to protect the Palestinian people and to compel Israel to respect international resolutions and conventions that protect civilians in times of war and conflict.

7 October 2023