The Palestinian National Council considered that President Mahmoud Abbas chairing of the group of 77 and China solidifies Palestine's international legal identity, enhances its status in the international order and is an appreciation to Palestine and its President amongst the countries and people of the world.

The spaeker of the Palestinian National Council, Salim Al-Zanoon, said in a press release on Wednesday that the presidency of the Palestinian state of this group, which includes two-thirds of the world's population, came as a result of the great sacrifices made by the Palestinian people and the fruit of Palestinian diplomacy led by President Abbas.

Mr. Al-Zanoon added, that the group's chairmanship would emphasize the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to live in an independent state with the city of Jerusalem as its capital, and to promote its demands for full membership in the United Nations.

The National Council asserted that the chairmanship of the Group, which includes 134 countries at this particular time, is a new slap from the international community to the Trump administration, the settler government of Israel led by Netanyahu, and their denial of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and self-determination living in an independent Palestinian state according to the resolutions of international legitimacy.

He expressed his confidence in the capability of the State of Palestine, its president, diplomats and experts to successfully lead this group and open new horizons for the Palestinian people and the people of this group.

The projected number of Palestinians in the world is 13.05 million, of whom 4.91 million are in State of Palestine, 1.57 million in 1948 Territory, 5.85 million in Arab countries and around 717 thousand in foreign countries.
More than one-third of population in Gaza Strip
The projected number of Palestinians living in State of Palestine at the end of 2018 is 4.915 million: around 2.954 million reside in the West Bank and 1.961 million in Gaza Strip. Palestinian refugees make up 42% of the Palestinian population in State of Palestine: 26% of them in the West Bank and 66% in Gaza Strip.

Decline in fertility rate
The total fertility rate declined during (2011-2013) to 4.1 births (compared to 5.9 births in 1999). In Gaza Strip the rate was 4.5 births compared to 3.7 births in the West Bank during 2011-2013.

Total Fertility Rate in State of Palestine, Selected Years

Decrease in average household size
The average household size in State of Palestine was 5.1 persons in 2017 (compared to 6.1 in 2000): 4.8 persons in the West Bank and 5.6 persons in Gaza Strip.

Average Household Size in State of Palestine by Region in 2000 and 2017

Decrease in crude birth and death rates
The crude birth rate is 30.5 births for every 1000 of population in State of Palestine 2018: 28.0 in the West Bank compared to 34.4 in Gaza Strip. The crude death rate is 3.8 deaths for every 1000 of population in State of Palestine 2018: 4.0 in the West Bank compared to 3.5 in Gaza Strip.

High fertility rate among Palestinians in Jordan compared to Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon
The total fertility rate for the Palestinian women living in Jordan was 3.3 births in 2010 compared to 2.5 in Syria in 2010 and 2.8 in Lebanon in 2011.

Selected Demographic Indicators by Country of Residence, Selected Years

Country of Residence Average Household Size Total Fertility Rate
Jordan 5.1** 3.3*
Syria * 4.1* 2.5**
Lebanon 4.4** 2.8**

* Data represent for 2010
**Data represent for 2011

The Palestinian population in 1948 Territory is a young population
The number of Palestinians living in 1948 Territory is 1.568 million in the end of 2018, of whom the percentage of individuals under 18 years was about 40% for males and 39% for females, while the percentage of individuals 65 years and above was 4% for males and 5% for females at the end of 2017.

Population growth rate for Palestinians is higher than the growth rate of the Jewish population in historic Palestine
The population growth rate of Palestinians in the State of Palestine reached about 2.5% in 2018. In addition, the growth rate of the Palestinian population in the 1948 territories reached about 2.3% in 2017, while the rate of Jews in historical Palestine was about 1.7% in 2017.

The National Council called on the international community to translate its broad solidarity with our people into actions ending the Israeli occupation, enabling our people to exercise their self-determination and return to homeland, embody their national sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The National Council , on the occasion, of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, adopted by UN General Assembly, on 2 December 1977 to commemorate partitioning of Palestine into two states, expressed its appreciation to all states, institutions, and world movement, commemorating the occasion, rejecting injustice, occupation and supporting our people’s right to self-determination.
The National Council stressed that the primary responsibility in implementation of decisions related to the Palestinian issue since 1947 till now is the responsibility of the United Nations and its institutions. It is no longer acceptable that Israel” the occupying state “ remains in violation of international laws, with full support and care of Trump administration, which is encouraging it to practice terrorism, murder, detention, and building settlements on the territory of the Palestinian state recognized by UN General Assembly in 2012.
The Council stressed the ability of our people and their leadership to overcome the stage, confront all projects and plans aimed at liquidating the national cause, undermining their rights to return and the state, and find references to settlement, which Israel and United States are trying to impose them as a substitute for the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
The National Council on this occasion called on to punish the Israeli occupation state and its parliament “ the Knesset” for its racist decisions and laws that legitimized this system of racial discrimination against all non-Jews, which is reflected in the nation-state law and dozens of laws contrary to international laws, conventions and human rights’ principles.
The National Council stressed that there will be no peace, no security, no stability in the Middle East with the continuation of the Israeli occupation. The occupying state can not enjoy security as long as the Palestinian people have been subjected to injustice and oppression. The only solution is to implement the two-state solution with the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders, calling on the countries of the world that have not recognized the state of Palestine yet to recognize it and help to achieve its independence.
The National Council on this occasion, saluted our people’s steadfastness at home, in the refugee camps and diaspora, calling for uniting ranks and ending the division. The Council also saluted world solidarity movement, first and foremost the world boycott movement, B.D.S which rejects racial Israeli occupation and racial discrimination practiced against the Palestinian people.
The National Council recalls the 71st anniversary of resolution 181(11) adopted on November 1947 partitioning Palestine into two states, stressing that this unjust decision was issued against the will of the Palestinian people because of international equations biased in time.

The Palestinian National Council called on Britain to recognize the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return of the refugees to their homes in accordance with the relevant resolutions of international law.

The Palestinian National Council, in a statement issued on the occasion of the 101 anniversary of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, renewed its call on the British government to correct its wrong doing when it unlawfully granted Jews the right to establish their homeland in Palestine which constituted a historic unprecedented injustice, ethnic cleansing, aggression and violation of the principles of law. It is also a violation of the inalienable rights of our people guaranteed by international conventions and laws as well as hundreds of United Nations resolutions.

The Palestinian National Council stressed that the Palestinian generations will not forgive those who committed this ongoing crime, which was the cause for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland and their suffering in the refugee camps and in the Diaspora.

The Palestinian National Council added that this crime was the platform for all the crimes committed against the Palestinian people, the latest of which is the so-called "deal of the century" which aims to eliminate the Palestinian cause and the implementation of the rest of the Balfour Declaration in an attempt to end our rights to establish our independent state for Palestinians who were displaced by Zionist terrorism.

The Palestinian National Council stressed that our people will not relinquish the means of defending their rights and regaining them. Foremost the right to self-determination on their land and to confront all Israeli policies and measures of occupation. All projects and plans aimed at striking our national project will be defeated with the steadfastness of our people who will maintain their legitimate resistance for freedom, Independence and the right of return.

Closing down PLO diplomatic mission is a new American aggression against peace in the Middle East , a flagrant attack on international law and International Criminal Court (ICC), which our people turn to it to protect themselves from crimes of Israel`s occupation.

"This decision comes under American escalating steps against our Palestinian people, who will never retreat from full adherence to their rights, foremost of which their rights to return and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital." The National Council confirmed in a press statement issued by its chairman Saleem AL-Za`anoun .

The National Council stresses our people`s right to defend themselves and move ahead with referring the files of the Israeli occupation crimes to the (ICC) . This step was taken by Trump administration as a vain pretext to close PLO Office in Washington, stressing that those who seek peace and stability ought not to defend criminals, occupiers or provide them with support and cover to commit more crimes , but help to achieve human justice by punishing the occupying state , its leaders ,and settlers' gangs ,who commit crimes against children, women ,old people and Palestinian youth .

The Council stresses that our people and their leadership will never be subject to blackmail ,threats and intimidation by the American administration ,that doesn`t abide by international law ,will not succeed in confiscating our rights ,regardless of its hostile decisions from transferring its embassy to the occupied city of Jerusalem and later, its attempts to liquidate the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes , criminalize and distort the Palestinian people struggle, stigmatizing it as terrorism ,ending with series of punitive decisions of financial and economic nature .

The Palestine National Council (PNC) called upon world parliament to reject and condemn US decision, and call for its continued support to UNRWA, to declare its rejection of US pressure that aims at ending UNRWA’s financial contribution, and to back, support the orientation to UN General Assembly and Security Council to confront the US decision on UNRWA, through taking all necessary and due decisions on this regard.
The demand came in identical letters sent by PNC Speaker Saleem Za’anoun to more than ten regional and international unions and associations.
PNC stresses that UNRWA is the international witness on the issue of Palestinian refugees and their right to return to their homes and property, that they had been displaced since 1948. UNRWA, therefore, became more than an agency. It is the title, sanctuary and the responsible body, as the international community had decided, as well as the international expression of the recognition of injustice and oppression inflicted upon them by ethnic cleansing, transfer, Israeli robbery of their homeland and property and depriving them of all essentials of decent life.
PNC pointed out that the UN agency provides services to about 5.9 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, including education, health care, relief, social services, infrastructure, camp improvement, community support, microcredits and emergency response, including in times of war, until their suffering is resolved by return to their homes and compensation, in accordance with the principles and rules of international law and the UN Resolution 194, which has been confirmed by resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly more than 150 times.
PNC clarified, in its letter, that the US administration is exerting pressure and blackmail on states to prevent provision of material, moral, health and educational aid and assistance and to stop all that contributes to the assistance of the Palestinian refugees. Thus the US administration is taking another step in undermining the legal regime of the international organization, violating provisions of international law and international legitimacy.
PNC stressed that cutting the entire U.S. aid to the UN agency reveals the falsity and lying of American allegations, claiming that it cares about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where refugees constitute a majority of the population. The American decision, in fact, means expelling tens of thousands of employees from their jobs, leaving hundreds of thousands of pupils and students on the streets and depriving them of health and social care. By this decision, the US administration has reneged on its international commitment and responsibility to UNRWA over the past 70 years.
PNC pointed out that the American decision is part of the series of American decisions and attitudes hostile to the Palestinian people, particularly, the American decision recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, its attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank, and at last, its decision to cut off all aid to UNRWA. Thus the US is a partner and proxy of occupation in implementing its plans to destroy the basics of peace and stability by removing all permanent status issues off the table, including issues of the right to return of Palestinian refugees and occupied Jerusalem, which are the most important issues of the final settlement.