Kuwait Reiterates Support for Palestinian Sovereignty Over Natural Resources

Kuwait has reaffirmed its steadfast support for the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people over their natural resources, emphasizing the necessity for the Israeli occupation to comply with its obligations under international law, end the occupation, and establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This statement was made in Kuwait’s address, delivered by Diplomatic Attaché Dalal Sharar before the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly during the discussion of Agenda Item 58, titled “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.”

Sharar stressed that while the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is of paramount importance, it cannot serve as a substitute for ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state. She called for the consolidation of the ceasefire in the Strip and the guarantee of unhindered access for humanitarian aid.

She also urged enabling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to fulfill its mandate, and supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts led and owned by Palestinians, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025).

Sharar condemned the continued expansion of settlements, land and resource confiscation, and settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, deeming these illegal practices detrimental to the foundations of the Palestinian economy and to the prospects of establishing a viable independent state, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016).

She called for the release of withheld Palestinian revenues to ensure the continuity of essential services, noting that a report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) reflects a systematic undermining of development foundations and the denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination and sovereignty over their natural resources.

She also addressed UN estimates indicating that human development in the Gaza Strip has regressed by the equivalent of 77 years, with the unemployment rate rising to 78 percent and per capita gross domestic product falling to 58 cents per day. She noted that recovery and reconstruction needs amount to $5.71 billion.

Highlighting Kuwait’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people, Sharar pointed out that Kuwait has contributed $2 million annually to UNRWA and, together with Jordan and Slovenia, launched the Joint Commitments Initiative for the Agency to support the continuity of its vital services.

Regarding the occupied Syrian Golan, she affirmed the sovereignty of its Arab population over their natural resources and Kuwait’s rejection of settlement activities and the depletion of those resources. She called for compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 497 (1981), respect for the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, and respect for Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity.

She stressed the necessity for the Israeli occupation to comply with relevant obligations affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinions of 2024 and 2025.

The Diplomatic Attaché expressed Kuwait’s appreciation for ESCWA’s efforts in documenting the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian people and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, reaffirming her country’s support for the Commission’s work in this regard.