Honorable members of the Presidium.
Dear colleagues, dear delegates.
The recent months, humanity has witnessed the genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel, which, despite the global outcry, with the tolerance and support of the USA and its allies, continues to violate every principle of humanitarian law, flouts the rulings of the International Court of Justice.
Thousands of innocent Palestinians have been killed including many children, while many others were buried under the rubble. Tens of thousands are injured without access into medical treatment after the Israeli army destroyed all hospitals.
As identified in the report we are debating today, the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is extremely critical. The Israeli imposed siege preventing the access to humanitarian supplies have resulted in an extreme humanitarian crisis.
The economy and labor market have collapsed, workplaces are in ruins, and nearly one and a half million Palestinians are forcibly displaced into Rafah in inhumane conditions.
The situation is also tragic in the West Bank, where the economy is also in deep crisis, thousands of jobs have been lost and Palestinians need humanitarian aid.
Humanity cannot remain indifferent to genocide, war crimes and the violation of every human value by the State of Israel.
The ILO must play a leading role on the current situation, for the immediate termination of brutal crimes and the genocide against the Palestinians by the government of Israel. Humanitarian aid must be channeled immediately to the people of Palestine in accordance with the Geneva convention.
On behalf of the workers of Cyprus, we express our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
