{"id":306166,"date":"2025-03-06T11:21:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=306166"},"modified":"2025-03-17T10:31:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T14:31:49","slug":"__trashed-4","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/__trashed-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Serious Negotiations Must Resume for Gaza Ceasefire, UN Chief Tells Arab League Summit, Calls for Political Framework for Reconstruction"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SG\/SM\/22571<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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4 March 2025<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Following are UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 remarks at the Extraordinary Arab League Summit on the Situation in the Middle East\/Gaza today:<\/p>\n

President El-Sisi, thank you for convening leaders from across the Arab world to unite at this Extraordinary Arab Summit dedicated to Palestine.<\/p>\n

Since the horrific attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7\u00a0October, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza, generating an immense trauma.\u00a0 Palestinians in Gaza have suffered beyond measure.\u00a0 And the risk of even greater devastation looms.<\/p>\n

This Summit is an important signal that the world has a collective responsibility to support efforts to end this war, relieve profound human suffering and secure lasting peace.\u00a0 In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a meaningful improvement with the ceasefire and the hostage deal.<\/p>\n

Since the start of the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have experienced reprieve. \u00a0Hostages were released and humanitarian aid dramatically increased.\u00a0 I urge the parties to uphold their commitments and implement them in full, and Member States to use all the leverage they have to support this, especially as we start the holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n

We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities that would plunge the millions back into an abyss of suffering and further destabilize the region. \u00a0And simultaneously, the territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria must be respected.<\/p>\n

Serious negotiations for the ceasefire in all its facets must be resumed without delay.\u00a0 All hostages must be released \u2014 immediately, unconditionally and in a dignified manner.<\/p>\n

The release of Palestinian detainees must be carried out per the terms of the deal and also in a dignified way.\u00a0 The parties must ensure humane treatment for all those held under their power.\u00a0 And all obstacles to the effective delivery of life-saving aid must be removed.<\/p>\n

Humanitarian aid is not negotiable. \u00a0It must flow without impediment. \u00a0The response needs to be adequately funded, and civilians \u2014 including humanitarians \u2014 must be protected.<\/p>\n

The United Nations has proven, together with our partners, namely the Egyptian Red Crescent, with access, the UN-coordinated response can deliver aid that people need.<\/p>\n

Ending the immediate crisis is not enough.\u00a0 We need a clear political framework that lays the foundation for Gaza\u2019s recovery, reconstruction and lasting stability.\u00a0 That framework must be based on principles and respect for international law.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns must be addressed, but that should not be through long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza.\u00a0And I want to once again salute the dedication of UN staff and all other humanitarian workers \u2014 particularly, Palestinian colleagues \u2014 who have suffered so much and are working under near-impossible conditions.\u00a0 I appeal for the urgent and full support of UNRWA\u2019s [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] work, including financial support.<\/p>\n

Finally, as we widen the lens beyond Gaza, we see an alarming situation unfolding in the West Bank.\u00a0 Israeli security forces have launched large-scale operations, including air strikes and also the deployment of tanks for the first time in over two decades.<\/p>\n

Over 40,000\u00a0Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last month \u2014 the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades.\u00a0 Meanwhile, demolitions, evictions and settlement expansions continue, with settler violence on the rise.\u00a0 All of this is further weakening the Palestinian Authority at a time when its role is more crucial than ever.<\/p>\n

I call for urgent de-escalation.\u00a0 Unilateral actions, including settlement expansion and threats of annexation, must stop.\u00a0 The attacks and mounting violence must end.\u00a0 Israel, as the occupying Power, must comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.\u00a0 And the Palestinian Authority must be supported to govern effectively, and to do so in compliance with its own obligations under international law.<\/p>\n

The true foundation of recovery in Gaza will be more than concrete and steel.\u00a0 It will be dignity, self-determination and security.\u00a0 This means staying true to the bedrock of international law.\u00a0 It means rejecting any form of ethnic cleansing.\u00a0 And it means forging a political solution.<\/p>\n

There is no sustainable future for Gaza that is not part of a viable Palestinian State.\u00a0 There can be no recovery without an end to the occupation.\u00a0 No justice without accountability for violations of international law.\u00a0 And no sustainable reconstruction without a clear and principled political horizon.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, to chart their own future, and to live on their land in freedom and security.\u00a0There must be irreversible steps now toward the realization of the two-State solution \u2014 before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n

The only path to lasting peace is one where two States \u2014 Israel and Palestine \u2014 live side by side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.\u00a0 The United Nations stands with you in this essential effort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SG\/SM\/22571 4 March 2025 Following are UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 remarks at the Extraordinary Arab League Summit on the Situation in the Middle East\/Gaza today: President El-Sisi, thank you for convening leaders from across the Arab world to unite at this Extraordinary Arab Summit dedicated to Palestine. Since the horrific attacks by Hamas in Israel […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329,2637,1338],"document-source":[5352,6169],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[5449,2265,2005,1741,6885,5200,1857,2385,1821,6771,6251],"entity":[],"document-language":[],"class_list":["post-306166","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-category-remarks","document-category-statement","document-source-secretary-general","document-source-united-nations-department-of-global-communications","document-subject-assistance-to-the-palestinian-people","document-subject-ceasefire","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-human-rights-violations","document-subject-humanitarian-relief","document-subject-incidents","document-subject-security-issues","document-subject-self-determination","document-subject-two-state-solution","document-subject-west-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/306166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/306166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":306168,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/306166\/revisions\/306168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=306166"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=306166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}