A letter addressed to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres, signed by 159 Sri Lankan Parliamentarians, with regard to the Israel-Palestine issue was handed over to the UN Compound in Colombo 07, on Tuesday (14).

Meanwhile, a copy of the relevant document has also been delivered to the Palestinian Ambassador in Colombo.

The letter, expressing solidarity of the Members of the Sri Lankan Parliament with Palestine, has raised deep concerns about the war against Palestinian civilians especially in Gaza reaching a critical point and causing a humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave Gaza Strip, and detailed several demands.

The demands are as follows;

1. We Demand the world, the key role players of the global politics to look at the root-cause of the Issue of the Mediterranean region and to find ways of practical actions to treat this problem immediately by implementing the right and genuine solution of creating and recognizing the Independent and sovereign State of Palestine of 1967 Borders with East Jerusalem as its Capital. This will be only the way to achieve stability and a justifiable peace in the region and the world must act to ensure that Israel must accept the same.

2. We Demand to stop the war immediately and to come to the table of negotiations to fulfill the stressing need to implement the universally agreed Resolutions, the international laws and the decisions made in this regard. The international community to fulfill their obligations to the maximum level to support the creation of the Independent State of Palestine.

3. Israel should be held accountable under international laws and the universal humanitarian regulations for the blatant war crime that they commit now and before alike.

4. As members of Sri Lankan Parliament, we appeal the United Nations and all its agencies, international community, all governmental and civil institutions, NGOs, INGOs and all civic minded citizens of the world, those who love and seek peace in the world, to swiftly act by taking necessary steps to be imposed on Israel to stop its onslaught, oppression and aggression against the people of Palestine.

5. We humbly appeal to the Western countries specially the three Permanents members of the UN Security Council – the USA, the UK and France – to stop supporting Israel and apply fair play in keeping with international law without hypocrisy and double standard. This is the time to be honest and genuine, specially, when it comes to dealing with Human values, human rights for people to live in dignity and peace. 

Furthermore, it has mentioned in the letter that they firmly stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, apart from party, ethnicity, gender or any other differences.

“Palestinian lives matter and they are also human beings like others in the world with all rights to live in peace and dignity”, it noted.