Embassy of the State of Palestine in Zambia

06/09/2026

The Palestinian Question in the International Arena: From Recognition to International Action

As of September 2026, the Palestinian question remains at the centre of the international political and legal agenda, amid the continuing consequences of the war in Gaza, growing concerns over the future of the West Bank, the expanding international recognition of the State of Palestine, and increasing calls for an end to the occupation and the achievement of a just and lasting political settlement.

After decades of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the international community does not lack resolutions, principles or legal frameworks capable of addressing the issue. The United Nations has repeatedly affirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to establish their independent state, while the two-state solution has become the political framework broadly supported by the international community.

The fundamental problem, however, is no longer the absence of resolutions. It is the widening gap between international resolutions and realities on the ground, and between political positions and the mechanisms required to implement them.

Peace and Stability: How Can They Be Achieved?

There is no doubt that peace and stability are in the common interest of Palestinians, Israelis and all the peoples of the region and the wider international community. But calls for peace and stability must be accompanied by a fundamental question: How can they be achieved in a just and sustainable manner?

Peace cannot be achieved under conditions of occupation, settlement expansion, forced displacement or the denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.

Nor can simply calling upon both parties to return to negotiations, without addressing the imbalance of power and the realities being imposed on the ground, provide a sufficient basis for genuine and lasting peace.

Sustainable peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict, respecting international law, implementing international resolutions, guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people, ending the occupation, and establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, ensuring freedom, security and dignity for both peoples.

Gaza: From Ceasefire to Lasting Peace

The issue of Gaza cannot be reduced to ending military operations or achieving a temporary ceasefire. The objective must be to move from a cessation of hostilities towards a comprehensive political process that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict.

This includes protecting civilians, ensuring unhindered humanitarian access, rebuilding Gaza, restoring its institutions and infrastructure, and ensuring that its population is not subjected to forced displacement or attempts to alter its demographic reality.

The future of Gaza must be an integral part of the future of the State of Palestine, and the Palestinian people must retain the fundamental right to determine the future of their land and institutions.

The West Bank and Settlements: A Direct Threat to the Two-State Solution

While the international community continues to affirm its commitment to the two-state solution, settlement expansion, land confiscation, demolitions and settler-related violence continue on the ground.

These policies pose a direct threat to the possibility of establishing a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state.

The two-state solution cannot remain viable if the realities on the ground continue to be altered in ways that undermine the geographical and political foundations of the Palestinian state.

Defending the two-state solution therefore requires more than repeatedly reaffirming it. It requires clear and effective international measures to protect it and prevent its further erosion on the ground.

Recognition of Palestine: From Diplomatic Recognition to Effective International Action

The growing international recognition of the State of Palestine represents an important diplomatic and political development and a positive step towards affirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to establish their independent state.

However, diplomatic recognition, important as it is, must not remain confined to political statements or symbolic positions. It must be transformed into a practical international commitment and concrete political and legal action.

The time has come for the countries that have recognised the State of Palestine, as well as the international community as a whole, to move from political recognition to effective and responsible action on the ground, using their political, legal, economic and diplomatic instruments to take practical measures aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, halting settlement expansion, annexation, land confiscation and forced displacement, and protecting the Palestinian people and the institutions of their state.

Recognition of the State of Palestine should mean recognition of its right to exist, to exercise sovereignty and to achieve independence. It should also carry with it a clear international responsibility to protect the State and enable it to exercise its sovereignty over its territory.

The value of recognition, therefore, should not be measured merely by the number of countries that recognise Palestine, but by their ability to translate that recognition into concrete measures that end the reality of occupation, halt violations and pave the way for the establishment of the Palestinian state.

Recognition should be the beginning of a new phase of international responsibility, not the end of the process.

International Legitimacy and International Law: The Need for Implementation

The Palestinian question has a substantial foundation in international law and United Nations resolutions, while international judicial institutions have addressed various aspects of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The greatest challenge, however, is ensuring that these decisions and resolutions are respected and implemented.

This raises a fundamental question:

What is the value of international resolutions if they are not accompanied by the political will and effective mechanisms necessary for their implementation?

The international system cannot credibly demand that peoples respect international law while allowing violations of that law to continue without meaningful consequences or effective corrective measures.

The international community must therefore move from a policy of managing the conflict towards a policy of ending the conflict by addressing and eliminating its underlying causes.

The International Community Faces a Historic Test

The Palestinian question represents a genuine test of the credibility of the international system and of the international community’s ability to translate its declared principles into action.

The international community affirms the protection of civilians, rejects forced displacement, opposes settlement expansion and annexation, supports the right of peoples to self-determination, and repeatedly reaffirms its commitment to the two-state solution.

But these positions will remain insufficient unless they are translated into concrete policies and measures.
What is required is serious, genuine and decisive international action—action that goes beyond managing the crisis or calling for de-escalation and instead works towards ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their national and sovereign rights.

Towards a Just and Lasting Peace

True peace does not simply mean the absence of war. It means justice, freedom, security, dignity and equality in rights.

Lasting peace cannot be achieved by imposing facts on the ground or by ignoring the rights of either side.

The path to peace begins with the implementation of international law and international resolutions, ending the occupation, halting settlement expansion, protecting the Palestinian people, and supporting the establishment of an independent and viable State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel, within a just and comprehensive political settlement.

Peace without justice will remain fragile. Stability without ending the occupation will remain temporary. And recognition of the State of Palestine without practical steps to end the occupation will remain incomplete.

The time has come for the international community to move from words to action, from managing the conflict to ending it, and from recognising the State of Palestine to genuinely enabling it to exercise sovereignty over its own land.

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

🇵🇸🇿🇲 President Mahmoud Abbas Congratulates President Hakainde Hichilema

His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, extends his sincere congratulations to His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election for a second term as President of the Republic of Zambia.

President Abbas wishes His Excellency continued success and leadership, and wishes the Republic of Zambia and its people continued progress, prosperity, and stability.

🇵🇸🤝🇿🇲

02/09/2026

The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Lusaka was honoured to attend the inauguration ceremony of His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, marking the beginning of his second term in office.
On this significant occasion, we extend our sincere congratulations to His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, wishing His Excellency continued good health, well-being, and success in leading the nation towards further progress and prosperity.
We also extend our warmest wishes to the people of the Republic of Zambia for continued peace, stability, prosperity, and success in the years ahead.
The State of Palestine reaffirms its commitment to the longstanding bonds of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between the Palestinian and Zambian peoples.
May the Republic of Zambia continue on the path of progress and prosperity towards a brighter and more prosperous future.
Congratulations to His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema and to the people of the Republic of Zambia! 🇿🇲

31/08/2026

24/08/2026

Situation Report #100: Occupied Palestine | Government Communication Center

⭕ Continued Israeli Attacks Continuing in Gaza Despite “Ceasefire”: Israeli occupation attacks have killed 1,286 Palestinians since the ceasefire, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since October 2023 to at least 73,420, including more than 21,600 children. Critical shortages of fuel, spare parts, medical supplies, and essential equipment continue to cripple healthcare, water, sanitation, and food production, while more than 82% of Gaza’s structures have been damaged.

⭕Israeli Medical Neglect and Abuse of Palestinian Prisoners Persist: Palestinian prisoner organizations reported worsening detention conditions, including the continued spread of disease, severe overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and prolonged neglect. Cases include women detainees suffering from scabies outbreaks and the amputation of a child prisoner's leg following untreated infection. Reports also documented IOF marking Palestinian detainees with identification numbers during military incursions.

⭕Israel’s Financial Measures Deepen the Humanitarian and Economic Crisis:
Continued Israeli withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and restrictions on workers and trade are further undermining the Palestinian economy and public services. Hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare providers continue to face severe shortages of medicines and supplies, while financial pressures have forced persistent reductions in public-sector salaries and essential public services.

⭕Settler Terror and Forced Displacement Intensify Across the West Bank: Human Rights Watch reported that settler terrorism has forcibly displaced nearly 5,900 Palestinians from 107 villages and communities since January 2023. Attacks on civilians, agricultural land, livestock, and critical infrastructure continue to expand, including repeated assaults on the Christian village of Taybeh and water infrastructure serving Palestinians in the Jordan Valley.

⭕Israel Advances De Facto Annexation Through Settlement Expansion: Israeli occupation authorities moved forward with plans to transfer “civilian law-enforcement responsibilities” in the West Bank to the Israeli Police, while also advancing the legalization of settlement outposts and plans for more than 1,200 settlement units in the “E1” Israeli colonial project . Several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia condemned the expansion plans.

⭕Concerns Grow Over Destruction of Evidence in Gaza: Israeli occupation forces continue removing rubble from large areas of Gaza while restricting access to these sites. Palestinian legal experts and families warn that these operations risk destroying evidence of Israel’s war crimes, including human remains, personal belongings, and forensic material, while also complicating future recovery and reconstruction efforts.

⭕ Government Continues Essential Services Despite Israel’ Financial Stranglehold: Despite Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian revenues, the Palestinian Government reaffirmed continued implementation of humanitarian and recovery projects in Gaza, including expanding water and sanitation services, supporting shelters for displaced families, debris removal, relief assistance, and preparations for the new academic year to ensure continuity of education.

📎 For more details, kindly consult the full report:pms.pms.ps/en/Article/6207/

23/08/2026

The International Community continues to act in the interest of International Law.
Read the Joint Statement made by the UK, France,Germany,Italy, Netherlands,Norway and Canada.

21/08/2026

The State of Palestine warmly Congratulates President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election

The Republic of Zambia and the State of Palestine share longstanding friendly relations, founded on shared values and aspirations anchored on the historic foundation laid by Zambia’s First President, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, and His Excellency Yasser Arafat, First President of the Palestinian Authority and Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Movement.

President Hichilema has consistently reaffirmed Zambia’s principled position that instability anywhere in the world threatens global peace and security. His Excellency therefore remains steadfast in his commitment to supporting the State of Palestine through peaceful resolutions and sustained diplomatic engagement.

We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with President Hichilema, his Administration and the Zambian People as we persevere in our legitimate struggle for self determination and our inalienable right to establish our independent homeland.

11/08/2026

Situation Report #98: Occupied Palestine | Government Communication Center

⭕ Israel Continues to Inflict a Mounting Human Toll in Gaza Despite the “Ceasefire”: IOF military attacks have killed 1,258 Palestinians since the ‘ceasefire,’ bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since October 2023 to at least 73,386, including nearly 22,000 children. July became the deadliest month of 2026, while UNICEF reported that at least 300 children have been killed during the 300 days since the ceasefire.

⭕ Israeli-made Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens Amid Continued Attacks and Aid Restrictions: Israeli attacks on homes, schools, shelters, and civilian infrastructure continue to worsen humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Reports also warn that the removal of millions of tonnes of rubble from Gaza by Israeli occupation authorities and Israeli contractors is destroying evidence of Israeli genocide and war crimes before forensic investigations can be conducted.

⭕️ Acute Food Insecurity Persists Across Gaza:The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment found that 1.4 million Palestinians—around 67% of Gaza’s population—face acute food insecurity, including more than 212,000 people at emergency levels. More than 74,000 children require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition, while severe shortages of food, cooking gas, and essential supplies continue to threaten civilian survival.

⭕ Israeli Settlement Expansion and Terror Attacks Continue Across West Bank: During July alone, Israeli occupation forces and colonial settlers carried out 2,256 attacks across the occupied West Bank, including the seizure of more than 830 dunams of Palestinian land, the demolition of 165 structures, plans for over 1,100 new settlement units, and the destruction of more than 5,000 trees, further accelerating settlement expansion and fragmentation of Palestinian territory.

⭕ Movement Restrictions Continue to Endanger Palestinian Lives: Human Rights Watch documented repeated delays and obstruction of emergency medical care at Israeli military checkpoints, including incidents involving pregnant women and children. Israeli occupation military raids, home demolitions, road closures, and settler terror attacks further restricted access to healthcare, livelihoods, and essential services across the West Bank.

⭕ Palestinian Prisoners Behind Israeli Bars Continue to Face Escalating Abuse and Collective Punishment: Palestinian prisoner institutions reported ongoing torture, starvation, sexual abuse, denial of medical care, prolonged solitary confinement, and other degrading treatment in Israeli prisons by Israeli occupation authorities.

⭕ Government Strengthens Governance and Protection of Public Resources: The Palestinian Government advanced reforms to safeguard public finances, combat fraud and smuggling, improve oversight of border crossings and fuel supplies, resolve long-standing financial obligations with utility providers, and protect state assets through enhanced governance and transparency.