Palestinian Prime Minister from COP31: Gaza Is a Painful Embodiment of All Humanitarian and Environmental Crises

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa called, from the platform of the COP31 Conference of the Parties held in Antalya, for an international partnership to rebuild Gaza according to renewable energy standards and sustainable water management, affirming that the ongoing Israeli occupation and the restrictions imposed on access to land, water and natural resources are multiplying the environmental and climate crises facing the Palestinian people.

Mustafa said that "Gaza is the place where all humanitarian, environmental and climate challenges are painfully embodied," pointing to widespread destruction that struck water, sanitation, energy and agricultural land networks and waste management systems, which exacerbated environmental and health risks and weakened the population's ability to adapt and endure.

He affirmed that the ongoing Israeli occupation and the restrictions imposed on access to land, water and natural resources are multiplying the challenges in Palestine.

Mustafa called for lifting the restrictions on Palestinian natural resources, and for providing appropriate climate financing, technology transfer and the building of national capacities, noting that Palestine had submitted its third version of Nationally Determined Contributions to the secretariat of the Framework Convention as evidence of its commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Before Mustafa was invited to the platform, COP31 President and Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum affirmed that "Turkey has always been by the side of Palestine and Gaza, yesterday, today, and will remain so," recalling President Erdogan's speech from the same platform the previous day, and demanding that the voice emanating from Antalya be a voice that halts climate injustice and the silence of conscience together.

The attendees in the General Anadolu Hall received the Palestinian Prime Minister with warm applause while standing, and Mustafa concluded his speech by affirming that "no people should be deprived of the right to sustainable development," expressing his view that no people may be deprived of the ability to confront climate change because of occupation or conflicts, before turning to thank Kurum and embracing him.