<\/p>\n
9907th Meeting* (AM & PM)<\/p>\n
At a critical juncture in Middle East history, United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres delivered a stark warning to the Security Council: the prospect of a two-State solution \u2014 where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security \u2014 is in grave danger of vanishing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear,\u201d Mr.\u00a0Guterres told the 15-member Council at its open debate on the Middle East. \u00a0\u201cDo not let extremists on any side undermine what remains of the peace process,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Sustainable peace in the Middle East hinges on the establishment of two sovereign States, with Jerusalem serving as the capital of both. \u00a0The Secretary-General underscored that the erosion of this solution undermines the rights of both peoples and denies Palestinians their legitimate national aspirations \u2014 while they continue to live under an Israeli presence deemed unlawful by the International Court of Justice.<\/p>\n
Since the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 terror attacks by Hamas, he noted, conditions have \u201cgotten worse on every front\u201d. \u00a0In Gaza, relentless conflict has created \u201cutterly inhumane\u201d living conditions, with civilians repeatedly under fire, confined to shrinking spaces and cut off from vital humanitarian relief.<\/p>\n
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations using heavy weaponry in residential zones, home demolitions, movement restrictions and settlement-expansion are dramatically altering the region\u2019s demographic and geographic reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cSettler violence continues at alarmingly high levels in a climate of impunity, with entire Palestinian communities facing repeated assaults and destruction, sometimes abetted by Israeli soldiers,\u201d said Mr.\u00a0Guterres. \u00a0He also condemned continued Palestinian attacks against Israelis both in Israel and the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n
The recent collapse of a temporary ceasefire on 18\u00a0March extinguished hopes for de-escalation, the\u00a0Secretary-General went on to say. \u00a0Since then, nearly 2,000\u00a0Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes and military operations. \u00a0Hamas continues to launch rockets into Israel, and hostages remain in captivity under appalling conditions, he said, urging their immediate release.<\/p>\n
He further warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis. \u00a0For nearly two months, Israel has blocked the flow of food, fuel, medicine and commercial goods, leaving over 2\u00a0million Gazans in dire need. \u00a0\u201cAid is non-negotiable,\u201d he said,\u00a0emphasizing the vital role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East\u00a0(UNRWA).<\/p>\n
Turning to the upcoming High-Level Conference on Gaza in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, he said the meeting presents a crucial opportunity to revitalize international support for peace efforts. \u00a0Moreover, he emphasized that the Palestinian Authority requires increased political and financial backing to remain viable and effective.<\/p>\n
The Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine recalled that the Council has adopted binding resolutions to stop the bloodshed.\u00a0 However, there remains a declared punitive siege by Israel to deprive 2\u00a0million Palestinians of food, water, medicine and electricity.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no shortage of bombs falling on Gaza, but there is an imposed shortage of everything else,\u201d he stressed, condemning the use of \u201cstarvation as a weapon of war against an entire civilian population\u201d.\u00a0 Calling for an immediate ceasefire to be resumed, he recalled that Israeli authorities had recently denied him entry \u201cto my own country that I proudly represent here\u201d.\u00a0 Meanwhile, on one side, there is a Palestinian leadership clearly and unequivocally committed to the two-State solution, while on the other is \u201can Israeli leadership dedicated to its destruction\u201d.<\/p>\n
He pointed to solutions whereby Hamas would no longer rule Gaza, and transitional governance arrangements would allow the Palestinian Authority to fully assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.\u00a0In view of the June conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, he called on all States who have yet to do so to recognize the State of Palestine without further delay.\u00a0 \u201cThe Palestinian people are in a cage, killed and starved, day after day after day,\u201d he stressed, while voicing fear that \u201cthe world is growing accustomed to such horrors\u201d.\u00a0 A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should be accompanied by the end of attacks and repression by Israeli occupation forces and settlers across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.\u00a0 Citing \u201canother delusional speech two days ago\u201d by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two-State solution meant the destruction of Israel, he reaffirmed the need for an independent State of Palestine living side by side with Israel.\u00a0 \u201cFanatical delusions will destroy our region,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The representative of Israel, criticizing the Council for a narrow focus on the region that misses the \u201cbroader forces at play\u201d, urged to widen the lens and see the threats that seek to reverse progress through growing violence and extremism. \u00a0Highlighting a powerful opportunity in Lebanon \u2014 where there are public calls for an end to Hizbullah\u2019s tyranny \u2014 he called for \u201cmore than rhetorical\u201d support to Lebanon\u2019s Government in reclaiming sovereignty and dismantling the \u201carmy of terrorists\u201d. \u00a0He further urged the Council to act before Syria becomes a \u201cpermanently fractured State governed by guns\u201d as Iranian-backed forces operate there with impunity\u201d. \u00a0\u201cThe one thread connecting the instability\u201d across the region \u2014 from Hizbullah in Lebanon to Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen \u2014 is Iran, he said, accusing Tehran of constructing a deliberate network of violence. \u00a0On Iran\u2019s nuclear ambition, he stressed: \u00a0\u201cIsrael will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. \u00a0We will not waver. \u00a0We will not retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding the war in Gaza, he stated that \u201cIsrael did not seek this war \u2014 it was forced upon us on 7\u00a0October\u00a0[2023].\u201d \u00a0With 59\u00a0hostages remaining in Gaza, he underscored Israel\u2019s duty \u201cto dismantle Hamas\u2019s military and governing infrastructure, to ensure Gaza can never again be used as a launchpad for atrocities\u201d and to \u201cfirst and foremost\u201d bring the hostages home. \u00a0The only path for peace is for Hamas to release the hostages and lay down the weapons, he said. \u00a0Therefore, the upcoming High-Level Conference risks \u201cdoing more harm than good\u201d by creating false expectations while ignoring the underlying dysfunction of the Palestinian Authority. \u00a0Instead of amplifying failed approaches, the international community should focus on confronting the radical acts led by Iran and its terror proxies. \u00a0\u201cWe cannot speak of reconstruction without security [\u2026] one cannot claim to stand for peace while legitimizing the forces that slaughtered families in their homes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In the ensuing open debate, dozens of Member States emphasized that lasting peace in the Middle East hinges on a two-State solution, warned against reaching a point of no return and condemned Israel\u2019s blockade of humanitarian aid into the enclave, which is already facing a severe humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis spiral of destabilization must not lead us into a situation from which we cannot turn back,\u201d said Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0Barrot, whose country is Council President for the month, spoke in his national capacity, stressing the urgent need to achieve a lasting ceasefire, which must include the release of all hostages held by Hamas. \u00a0\u201cThere is only one solution that can achieve a political settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: \u00a0the two-State solution,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Barbara \u017dvokelj, Slovenia\u2019s Secretary-General for Foreign and European Affairs, also underscored the need for \u201cmore strength to prevent the evaporation of a political solution\u201d.<\/p>\n
Attempts to annex the Strip, said the delegate from the Russian Federation, cannot be justified by Hamas\u2019s refusal to unconditionally release the hostages and risk \u201cdismantling the international legal basis for the Middle East settlement\u201d. \u00a0Urging Israel to reconsider its decision to cease cooperation with UNRWA, he added: \u00a0\u201cIt is totally unacceptable to use humanitarian assistance as a bargaining chip in negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, called the blockade of humanitarian aid and commercial goods since 2\u00a0March \u201ca man-made catastrophe\u201d. \u00a0\u201cIt is unacceptable that Israel has blocked humanitarian support from entering Gaza for nearly two months, meaning that Palestinians civilians, including 1\u00a0million children are facing starvation and death,\u201d added Ray Collins, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
The representatives of Denmark, Greece and Panama, also echoing several speakers, called for an immediate ceasefire of the Gaza conflict and the release of the 59\u00a0hostages still held captive in Gaza. \u00a0The representative of the Republic of Korea said recent remarks by President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority \u2014 demanding that Hamas release all Israeli hostages \u2014 draws a clear line between the Authority and Hamas and has a chance to reinvigorate both Israeli and Palestinian commitment towards the two-State solution.<\/p>\n
Somalia and Guyana\u2019s delegates, along with many others, underscored the plight of humanitarian personnel.\u00a0 \u201cMovement is dangerous for aid workers,\u201d said the latter, adding: \u00a0\u201cWe are in effect watching as more and more Palestinians are condemned to die through starvation, bomb or bullet, or disease\u201d.\u00a0 The former\u2019s speaker stated: \u00a0\u201cWe cannot observe passively as basic survival becomes a luxury for an entire population.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s delegate expressed alarm that the assault on Gaza is killing civilians at four times the rate of previous conflicts.\u00a0 In the same vein, Algeria criticized the international community for the absence of collective action and the double standards that have emboldened the occupier to \u201cnormalize and even promote the crime of mass expulsion as a strategy\u201d. \u00a0\u201cIsraeli occupying forces are not fighting a war; they are erasing a people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Hamas bears sole responsibility for the war it unleashed on 7\u00a0October\u00a02023, said the representative of the United States.\u00a0And now Hamas is preventing a ceasefire from being concluded \u2014 having rejected yet another proposal put forward by her delegation, Qatar and Egypt, that would release hostages and bring calm to Gaza.\u00a0 Instead, that \u201cbrutal terrorist organization continues to violently suppress organic protests against its barbaric rule\u201d.\u00a0 Calling for the release of all hostages, including five United States citizens, she condemned the insidious violence throughout the Middle East promoted by Iran.\u00a0 Hamas must disarm and be removed from Gaza, she stressed.<\/p>\n
Israel must \u201crelinquish its obsession with the delusion of winning by force\u201d, said China\u2019s delegate. \u00a0\u201cViolence or force cannot bring about security,\u201d he also added, noting that settlement activities in the West Bank violate Security Council resolutions and must cease immediately.\u00a0 Echoing the concerns of several other Member States, he also said that Israel\u2019s carving out of a buffer zone raises \u201cserious concern\u201d.<\/p>\n
Several speakers who have been involved in peace talks stressed the need for both Israel and the State of Palestine to come back to the negotiating table. \u00a0Qatar\u2019s representative condemned the resumption of Israeli aggression against Gaza in violation of the ceasefire agreement facilitated by her Government, Egypt and the United States in January. \u00a0Egypt\u2019s delegate said that an immediate ceasefire is pertinent alongside a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, protection for UN agencies and an end to forced displacement.\u00a0 There is \u201cno point in exchanging accusations\u201d, he also said.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s representative urged the international community and the Council to \u201ccompel Israel to withdraw completely, immediately and unconditionally\u201d from all occupied territories, including five sites in the south and two buffer zones. \u00a0He also called for Israel to stop attacks on Lebanon\u2019s \u201csovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d, including the 27\u00a0April strike, and to \u201crelease Lebanese prisoners\u201d.<\/p>\n
Asaad Hasan al-Shaibani, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, said Israel\u2019s repeated air strikes violate Syria\u2019s sovereignty.\u00a0\u201cThe pretext that was used to justify such strikes [\u2026] does not stand anymore,\u201d he added. \u00a0Israeli practices against Syria will only encourage groups affiliated with Iran to destabilize Syria. \u00a0\u201cWe will not accept any foreign interference into our country,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
__________<\/p>\n
* The 9906th<\/sup>\u00a0Meeting was closed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 9907th Meeting* (AM & PM) Israeli Forces \u2018Not fighting a War, They Are Erasing a People\u2019, Warns Delegate At a critical juncture in Middle East history, United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres delivered a stark warning to the Security Council: the prospect of a two-State solution \u2014 where Israel and Palestine live side by side […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329],"document-source":[1362],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1769,2005,1741,1745,6771,6891],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-307088","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-source-security-council","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-two-state-solution","document-subject-unrwa","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/307088","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\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/307088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":307090,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/307088\/revisions\/307090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=307088"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=307088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}