Bethlehem / PNN /

The World Health Organization (WHO) General Assembly today adopted a resolution to raise the flag of the State of Palestine at the organization’s headquarters, following suit after other member states.

The resolution was supported by 95 countries, opposed by four: Israel, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany, while 27 countries abstained.

In his address to the General Assembly, Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in Geneva, said, the resolution is symbolic and a single step, noting it is evidence that we are part of the international community that contributes to supporting health issues.

“We hope to soon obtain full membership in the WHO and all United Nations institutions,” he said. In response to the Israeli ambassador, who described the resolution as illogical and accused the organization of politicizing its work to include a similar draft resolution, Khraishi said that after 19 months of the genocide against the Palestinian people, it is appropriate to reconsider the Israeli occupation state's membership in international organizations.

The State of Palestine, which has "observer state" status in the WHO, recently obtained the General Assembly's approval of its membership in the organization's International Health Regulations, a system of laws and procedures that govern the relationship between national health ministries and the WHO, particularly in the areas of emergencies and response to epidemics and pandemics.

This step represents a qualitative leap in enabling Palestine to benefit from international support in health emergencies and from international cooperation and coordination mechanisms to provide appropriate healthcare to the Palestinian population.