Statement on the 50th Anniversary of Land Day: The Land is the Address

Statement on the 50th Anniversary of Land Day: The Land is the Address

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Land Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, independence, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The 50th anniversary of Land Day stands as a defining national milestone in the Palestinian struggle, and an enduring symbol of the steadfast attachment of the Palestinian people to their land and their legitimate national rights. It reflects the unity of the Palestinian people in confronting colonial occupation policies and ongoing schemes aimed at confiscating land, displacing its indigenous population, and erasing their historical and national presence.

This anniversary comes amid an unprecedented escalation in the crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, alongside intensified efforts to consolidate control over Palestinian land and impose facts on the ground through force.

The Ministry stresses that Israel continues to impose a system of racial discrimination and apartheid against the Palestinian people wherever they are. It further continues its colonial settlement expansion at an accelerating pace, including land confiscation, expansion of settlements, and restrictions on construction and planning. These practices deepen its control over Palestinian land and entrench a colonial apartheid system, in flagrant violation of international law, relevant International Court of Justice advisory opinions, international humanitarian law, and the Geneva Conventions. Foremost among these principles is that Israel has no sovereignty over any part of the territory of the State of Palestine, including Jerusalem.

The Ministry further notes that this anniversary comes amid a dangerous escalation of occupation practices across the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These include policies of annexation, Judaization, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement, which undermine the prospects for peace and threaten regional stability and security. They further demonstrate the occupying power's determination to impose new realities on the ground aimed at undermining the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The Ministry affirms that Land Day will remain a living testament to the justice of the Palestinian cause, the deep historical and legal bond between the Palestinian people and their homeland, and international solidarity with their legitimate rights. It remains a symbol that the land is the core of the Palestinian struggle and the foundation of national unity, until the end of the occupation and the realization of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the guarantee of the right of return and self-determination in accordance with international legitimacy.

The Ministry renews its call on the international community, the United Nations Security Council, and all international actors to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, to reject double standards, and to take concrete and effective measures to stop the crimes of the occupation and settlement expansion. It further calls for the provision of international protection for the Palestinian people, accountability for Israel as the occupying power for its ongoing violations, and serious efforts to achieve Palestinian rights and end the Israeli occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine, in order to ensure a just and lasting peace in the region.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

State of Palestine

30 March 2026