STATEMENT BY
AMBASSADOR DR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
QUARTERLY OPEN DEBATE ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
28 APRIL 2026
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President,
Malaysia thanks Bahrain for convening this meeting, and aligns itself with the statements of the OIC, NAM and CEIRPP.
President,
- The situation in Gaza remains gravely alarming. Despite the ceasefire of October 2025, approximately 800 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 2,100 injured. This adds to the already devastating toll of over 70,000 lives lost in the past two years.
- Restrictions at crossing points continue. Essential supplies, including medical aid, food, education materials and energy remain severely limited. In March 2026, over 1,000 cases of acute malnutrition were recorded among children. No educational materials have entered Gaza in the past week. An entire generation is being denied its future.
- In the West Bank, the situation is equally alarming. Since October 2023, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 235 children. This month alone, two children were killed in separate incidents. OCHA has also reported cases where settlers demolishing a school in the Jordan Valley and obstructed children from receiving education in the Hebron area.
- Attacks on healthcare persist. A total of 892 incidents have been recorded, including the killing of 12 healthcare workers. Hospitals continue to be targeted and medical access is obstructed.
- Settler violence is escalating sharply. March recorded the highest number of Palestinian injuries afflicted by settlers since 2006. These acts are not isolated. They are enabled by policies that expand settlements and displace Palestinians. This is a clear violation of international law and ICJ decisions.
- We also condemn restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly during Ramadan, as well as restrictions affecting Christian worshippers at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Easter. These measures are discriminatory and provocative. They violate international law and the established status quo of the holy sites.
- We further condemn the passage of a law imposing a mandatory death penalty in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its discriminatory application against Palestinians. It constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention. It is yet another measure that entrenches an apartheid system under occupation.
- We are also deeply concerned by credible reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees, including torture, inhumane treatment, starvation, and the denial of basic rights. The international community must act firmly to bring an end to these violations.
President,
- The role of UNRWA is indispensable. Malaysia condemns attacks against UNRWA’s mandate and its premises. UNRWA must be allowed to operate freely across the occupied territories. Its staff must be granted visas and access, which have been denied since January 2025.
- Malaysia, together with the overwhelming majority of UN Member States, supported the New York Declaration adopted in September 2025. It reaffirms the Palestinian right to self-determination and recognises a sovereign and independent State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We also support the Arab-OIC reconstruction plan reflected in the Declaration. This plan offers a credible pathway for recovery and stability.
President,
- Accountability remains essential. International law, the UN Charter and all relevant resolutions must be upheld. Impunity cannot continue. Without accountability, there will be no peace or stability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The consequences are already spreading beyond Palestine into the wider region.
- The Security Council must act decisively. The Palestinian people have waited far too long.
Thank you.