Palestine welcomes declaration of BRICS summit, praises positions supporting Palestinian rights

Palestine on Saturday welcomed the declaration issued at the weekend summit of the BRICS grouping of 11 countries, praising its positions in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the declaration from the New Delhi summit and its “positions and affirmations supporting the Palestinian cause,” particularly its rejection of attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land, including Jerusalem; its call for an end to Israeli occupation; its commitment to the two-state solution; and its support for the state of Palestine’s full UN membership.

It also welcomed the declaration’s support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and its mandate, as well as its call to protect holy sites and ensure access to them in Jerusalem, protect the Palestinian people, and ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The ministry said the positions are consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and stressed the need to translate them into practical and concrete steps.

It urged the international community to “assume its legal and political responsibilities, and work to implement and enforce international legitimacy resolutions” to ensure an end to crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation, as well as all forms of displacement, settlement expansion, and annexation, while protecting the Palestinian people and enabling them to exercise their legitimate national rights, foremost among them their inherent right to self-determination.

The ministry underlined that “implementing the positions and affirmations contained in the BRICS declaration requires ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights,” including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on its land, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Declaration urges preservation of Gaza ceasefire, full and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid

Earlier Saturday, a final declaration issued at the conclusion of the BRICS leaders’ summit expressed opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The joint summit declaration called for respect for UN Security Council resolutions concerning Gaza.

“We call on all parties to ensure the preservation of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the full and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid,” it said.

It also expressed concern about the continued violence in the region despite the ceasefire reached last October.

“We call for an end to any policies aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and express concern over any arrangements that could undermine the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights or could lead to legitimizing the occupation or prolonging it,” the statement added.

The declaration called for an urgent and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue and reaffirmed its support for the State of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations.

BRICS is made up of longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the origin of the BRICS name – plus more recent members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

With its expansion to 11 members since 2024, BRICS has become a bloc representing roughly half of the world’s population and around 40% of global economic output.

The 18th BRICS Leaders Summit is due to end Sunday.