GAZA CITY: Palestinian children who have returned to their neighborhood, stare at the damaged from their home, hit by Zionist entity’s bombardment in Gaza City, after a ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Zionist and Hamas, on Friday. - AFP

KUWAIT/NEW YORK: Kuwait welcomes the ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said on Friday. In a statement, the foreign ministry applauded the international and Arab continued efforts that helped to reach a ceasefire agreement, hailing Egypt's efforts in this regard. The ministry affirmed that the agreement is a step to help save lives and end the violence for which the Zionist occupation authorities bear responsibility.

However, achieving stability in the region requires concerted international efforts to resume the peace process in the Middle East and to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, it added.

Zionists' crimes

Kuwait had condemned "with the strongest of terms" crimes and policies carried out by the Zionist occupation forces in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the city of Jerusalem. This came in a speech by Kuwait's Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah in the special session of the 75th UN General Assembly, held in New York City on Thursday to discuss current events in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the situation in the Middle East.

Moreover, Kuwait denounces all of the Zionist entity's illegal settlement schemes, its bids to seize Palestinians' houses and properties, particularly citizens' assets in Jerusalem, namely in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, seeking to evacuate the holy city of its population for sake of Judaizing it, the Kuwaiti top diplomat stressed.

Such practices are illegal and illegitimate breaches and constitute flagrant violation of the relevant international resolutions and references that affirm that unilateral measures and decisions aimed at altering the legal and historic status in the occupied territories are invalid and false; they create neither a right nor a commitment, Sheikh Dr Ahmad said.

The attacks and crimes perpetrated by the Zionist occupation forces are part of a chain of violations of Security Council resolutions 242, 478 and 2334; among others, stipulating that sanctity of Jerusalem cannot be desecrated, he indicated. He further renewed Kuwait's adherence to Arab, Islamic and international efforts to stop the ongoing onslaught, as the aspired settlement is based on the two-state solution, Security Council resolutions, the land for peace principle, the road map and the Arab peace initiative-all designed to enable the Palestinians establish their state and garner their independence.

FM meets UN Chief

As part of his official visit, Sheikh Dr Ahmad met on Friday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. During the meeting the two discussed cooperation and ways to bolster coordination in the future. The two sides also tackled developments in the region and international arena. The UN chief praised Kuwait's role and exerted efforts to strengthen peace and stability around the world. Earlier, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister participated in a joint session held between Guterres and the ministers of foreign affairs of Arab countries participating in the special session of the 75th General Assembly of the Nations.

Sheikh Dr Ahmad had discussed with his Palestinian and Indonesian counterparts the current situation in the occupied Palestinian lands. The meetings with Palestine's Riad Al-Malki and Indonesia's Retno Marsudi came on the sideline of the 75th UN General Assembly, and in line with the State of Kuwait's support of international efforts for a ceasefire in occupied Palestine. Minister Malki; most notably, valued the State of Kuwait's "honorable" stance, as well as its leadership and people's "historic and pivotal" role in championing the Palestinian cause.

Furthermore, Sheikh Dr Ahmad held similar talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al-Safadi and UNGA President Volkan Bozkir, and later discussed the latest developments with his Turkish, Pakistani and Maldivian counterparts; Mevlut Cavusoglu, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Abdulla Shahid respectively. - KUNA