The head of the Palestinian caretaker government, Mohammad Shtayyeh, stated on Sunday that "revitalizing the Palestinian Authority means empowering it to fulfill its role," warning of the consequences of the United States using its veto in the Security Council against resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Shtayyeh's comments came during his meeting with a delegation of U.S. Congress members, including Senator Cory Booker and Senator Michael Bennet (from the Democratic Party), in Ramallah, according to a government statement.
Shtayyeh briefed the delegation on Israeli measures in the West Bank, "which is also suffering from Israeli aggression and settler terrorism." He reiterated his call for the United States to "support an immediate ceasefire, work to open crossings to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and provide essential services that respond to the humanitarian crisis."
He said that "the U.S. use of the veto several times to prevent a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza in the Security Council encourages Israel to spill more blood under international cover." He emphasized that "Gaza is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe due to the Israeli aggression and needs a Marshall Plan, including relief, reconstruction, and economic revitalization as soon as the aggression stops."
Shtayyeh urged Washington "not to use the veto against the Palestinian request (a repeated request) for full membership in the United Nations." He also called on the United States to "recognize Palestine as a state, with recognition being the start of a political solution rather than the result of a political process that is uncertain due to the absence of a partner in Israel," in addition to "refunding UNRWA, which contributes to the relief of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at a time when Israel is committing various forms of genocide through killing, starvation, and destruction."
