Global Solidarity On Palestine Must Move Beyond Symbolism, Says UN Rapporteur

By Muhammad Adil Muzaffar Mohd Fisol 

BRUSSELS, April 22  (Bernama) -- Global solidarity efforts for Palestine must pivot beyond symbolic actions to focus on dismantling the systems that sustain the ongoing violence and sufferings, a United Nations official said.

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese said repeated initiatives such as aid flotillas, need to be reassessed, noting that similar efforts over the years have yielded limited results without broader structural impact. 

She stressed that solidarity must translate into tangible outcomes to end the suffering of Palestinians rather than “performative” gestures.

“We cannot risk to be just symbolic. It's about disrupting the material infrastructure that sustains the system in a coordinated fashion," she said at the inaugural Global Sumud Parliamentary Congress, held here, on Wednesday.

Albanese emphasised the need for stronger coordination, leadership and alignment with longstanding civil society efforts, including legal advocacy and economic pressure mechanisms such as boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).

“Focus should be on disrupting systems that sustain the conflict, including supply chains and institutional support structures,” she added.

Chair of the European Parliament  Delegation for Relations with Palestine, Lynn Boylan, criticised the inactions of the international community to respond decisively to the worsening humanitarian crisis.

She said Gaza is facing severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies, alongside rising disease outbreaks that resulted from prolonged Israeli blockade.

“The blockade is an affront to human dignity,” she said, adding that developments in the West Bank, including settlement expansion and violence, reflect broader systemic issues.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouti, said immediate actions are needed to halt aggression and address the deteriorating situation in Gaza and Occupied West Bank.

Barghouti also raised concern over the escalating violence involving illegal Israel settlers in the West Bank as well as treatment of detainees in the regime’s prisons.

He urged for intensified global pressure, particularly through economic and political measures.

“Only by transforming solidarity into concrete actions can real change be achieved,” he noted.

The one-day event was organised by the Global Sumud Flotilla committee and attended by over 300 representatives from governments, experts and civil societies worldwide.

It called for political leaders to reinforce humanitarian protection in real time, accelerate multilateral recognition of a UN-verified humanitarian maritime corridor to Gaza, and advance legislative efforts in their respective countries, including measures to halt arms transfers to Israel.

It also aimed to produce a “Brussels Declaration” that outlines key demands, including unimpeded humanitarian access, Palestinian autonomy in reconstruction, and accountability under international law.

According to media reports, at least 72,560 people had been killed and over 170,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.

The continued aggressions despite a ceasefire that took place since October last year had caused widespread devastation to the enclave including healthcare systems and critical infrastructure.

-- BERNAMA