General Secretariat - Riyadh

His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), welcomed the opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Friday, July 19, 2024, regarding the illegality of the continuing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza for 57 years.

His Excellency said that this legal opinion confirms and reinforces the Palestinian people's attainment of their legitimate and legal rights in accordance with international and United Nations resolutions to regain the Palestinian territories seized by the Israeli occupation forces.

He pointed out that the settlement decisions and attempts to change the geography carried out by the Israeli occupation forces are illegitimate measures that do not enjoy any regional or international recognition, and do not change anything on the ground, stressing that the seized Palestinian territories will remain Palestinian and an inherent right of the Palestinian people.

Moreover, His Excellency reiterated the firm positions of the GCC countries towards the Palestinian issue, and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to obtain their state.​