Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas conveyed his gratitude to Türkiye and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for their support for the Palestinian people, during Tuesday's visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the kingdom.
In a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa, Abbas praised "the honorable and principled stances" of Ankara and Riyadh in upholding international law and legitimacy, and in supporting "the Palestinian people's right to freedom and independence."
Abbas also highlighted a joint statement released by the two countries emphasizing the need to establish an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the 1967 borders, in accordance with international law, United Nations resolutions, and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, noting that this approach supports the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people.
He also welcomed renewed emphasis by Ankara and Riyadh on the "vital" role played by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in delivering essential services to the Palestinian people.
The U.N. said Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,110 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and injured at least 11,500 others since October 2023.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal in a landmark opinion in July 2024 and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
