<\/p>\n
23 October 2025<\/p>\n
10023rd Meeting (AM & PM)<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let the opportunity for Middle East peace slip through our fingers.\u201d This was the overarching message conveyed by the Security Council today, as delegates discussed the latest developments following the 9 October agreement \u2014 based on United States President Donald J. Trump\u2019s 20-point plan \u2014 which secured a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter two years of devastating war and unimaginable human suffering, we now have an opportunity to conclude a dark chapter in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and set the course for a more just and peaceful future,\u201d said Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, speaking via video link, during a day-long open debate.<\/p>\n
Deputy Special Representative: A \u2018Momentous But Precarious\u2019 Juncture<\/strong><\/p>\n The 9 October agreement \u201crepresents hope for a better future\u201d, he added, though its dynamics remain \u201cextremely\u201d fragile, Mr. Alakbarov continued. \u201cA return to conflict must be avoided at all costs.\u201d He called for the immediate release of remaining deceased hostages and large-scale humanitarian access across Gaza. \u201cAll parties must abide by their commitments under the deal and agreements should be reached to implement the next phase.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the ceasefire took effect, the United Nations and its partners have begun implementing a 60-day response plan, he said. Aid deliveries increased by 46 per cent in the first week, thanks to Israeli facilitation and tracking through the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza. \u201cBut, this is not enough,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n Meeting humanitarian targets requires more crossings and functional corridors, safe passage for aid workers and civilians and unrestricted entry of goods and fuel.<\/p>\n Reconstruction, meanwhile, will require \u201ca collective effort and should be Palestinian-led\u201d, he said. Working with the Palestinian Authority, international partners, civil society and the private sector, the UN is ready to help coordinate recovery efforts in accordance with the ceasefire, the New York Declaration and the Arab Plan for Recovery and Reconstruction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are at a momentous but precarious juncture,\u201d Mr. Alakbarov said. President Trump\u2019s 20-point plan and the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement to End the War in Gaza have created \u201ca viable path towards ending the war\u201d. The upcoming Cairo Reconstruction Conference \u2014 co-hosted by Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and the UN \u2014 will advance recovery and rebuilding efforts.<\/p>\n For its part, the UN will continue to support all efforts to end the occupation and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in line with international law and UN resolutions, he said. This is critical to realize \u201ca two-State solution \u2014 Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part \u2014 living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States\u201d.<\/p>\n Vengeance, Hatred Lead Nowhere, Says Palestine\u2019s Speaker<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe knew that the ceasefire was the only way forward [\u2026] to bring the horrors to an end,\u201d said the observer for the State of Palestine. While skepticism remains, \u201cour role is not [to] be bystanders as things fall apart\u201d. He thanked Egypt, Qatar, T\u00fcrkiye and the United States for their mediation, also paying tribute to those who did not survive, including 20,000 Palestinian children. \u201cVengeance and hatred lead nowhere,\u201d he said. \u201cMore bloodshed cannot be the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Emphasizing that Israeli security cannot come at the expense of Palestinian lives and rights, he quoted the United States Constitution: all people are equally endowed with the rights to \u201clife, liberty and the pursuit of happiness\u201d. Annexation, colonization, arbitrary detention, land expropriation and violence against civilians must end. \u201cThe world mobilized [\u2026] for a two-State solution and for peace,\u201d he said, pledging that Palestine will uphold its obligations and allow its people to chart their own way forward.<\/p>\n \u201c[President Trump] alone can save Israel from itself,\u201d he continued. Israel has yet to fully abandon its annexation policies, he said, stressing that injustice must never be justified. \u201cA new generation can wake up to a very different region\u201d where shared security replaces war.<\/p>\n Hamas Must Disarm, Israel\u2019s Delegate Insists<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIsrael has achieved what many thought impossible,\u201d said Israel\u2019s representative, noting all living hostages are home, 15 fallen hostages recovered, and \u201cHamas has been forced to accept a deal it rejected from the very beginning\u201d. He stressed \u201cIsrael stood firm\u201d despite political pressure, but \u201cour struggle is not over\u201d as there can be no peace \u201cwhile terror still remains\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMake no mistake \u2014 Hamas has already violated the ceasefire,\u201d he said, noting Hamas has failed to return the bodies of the fallen despite more than 300 hours passing. \u201cThey know exactly \u2014 and we know that they know \u2014 where our fallen are; they simply refuse to act.\u201d The fallen hostages will be brought home \u201cby diplomacy, if possible, by other means if necessary\u201d. Nine days into the ceasefire, Hamas fired in an Israel Defense Forces-controlled area, killing two soldiers and wounding others.<\/p>\n \u201cYet, as Hamas violates the ceasefire, too many look away,\u201d he continued, rejecting the \u201coutrageous and false moral equivalence drawn in recent weeks\u201d. Urging a focus on reality, he said: \u201cRemove the goggles and look at what is really happening today, because \u2014 before classrooms open or a single home is built \u2014 one truth must be faced: Hamas must go, Hamas must disarm.\u201d Blueprints and promises of reconstruction “will not stop bullets, only real disarmament will\u201d, he said. \u201cNow is the time to turn words into pressure, and hopefully, pressure into peace.\u201d<\/p>\n In the ensuing discussion, Council and non-Council members alike expressed support for the 9 October agreement, warned against ceasefire violations, called for the scaling up of humanitarian aid and urged united international efforts towards the reconstruction of Gaza and implementation of the next stages of the peace plan.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s representative stressed that the ceasefire, release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and restoration of humanitarian aid flows are all \u201cwelcome steps\u201d. Oman\u2019s delegate, speaking for the Arab Group, said that \u201cthe last few weeks have brought real signs of hope to the political landscape\u201d. Echoing that observation, Denmark\u2019s delegate emphasized: \u201cWe must not let the opportunity that this peace presents slip between our fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n However, \u201cthe job is not done\u201d, said the representative of the United States, urging Hamas to immediately return the bodies of the 13 remaining hostages, including two American citizens. \u201cPresident [Trump] is not playing games here \u2014 Hamas is finished in Gaza and does not have a future there,\u201d he stressed, adding that the group will face severe consequences if it does not fully disarm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are now at an important moment of hope\u201d thanks to President Trump\u2019s ceasefire deal, said the speaker for the United Kingdom, calling on the Israelis and Palestinians to uphold their commitments and avoid escalation. The Republic of Korea\u2019s representative urged Hamas to give up any role in the future governance of Gaza, and Israel to complete the suspension of all military operations and ensure full entry of humanitarian aid through all available routes.<\/p>\n Somalia\u2019s delegate underscored that consolidating and safeguarding the ceasefire must remain a priority, as it requires robust international monitoring and accountability mechanisms under UN auspices.<\/p>\n Second Phase of Peace Deal \u2018Extremely Critical\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Several speakers stressed the importance of implementing the second phase of the peace deal. The next steps are \u201cextremely critical\u201d, said Guyana\u2019s representative, urging rejection of any ideas that violate international law or weaken the two-State solution. She noted broad international consensus \u2014 reaffirmed at recent high-level meetings \u2014 that the two-State formula remains the only viable path.<\/p>\n Slovenia\u2019s delegate emphasized that, while the Yellow Line \u2014 dividing Gaza internally \u2014 should be \u201cas short-lived as possible\u201d, arrangements for the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of international stabilization forces \u201cshould proceed swiftly\u201d. He added that the UN has experience establishing interim administrations in post-conflict territories, noting that Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Timor Leste can serve as models for setting up a civilian administration in Gaza \u2014 even if not coordinated by the Organization.<\/p>\n Greece\u2019s delegate said the envisaged United States-led international stabilization force provides for a promising prospect in support of peace. \u201cAs the custodian of international peace and security, this Council is the appropriate body to mandate this force,\u201d she stressed. Similarly, France\u2019s representative called for the deployment of an \u201cinternational stabilization force\u201d in Gaza that is \u201cmandated by the Security Council, at the invitation of the Palestinian Authority, with appropriate regional and international support\u201d.<\/p>\n Momentum towards Regional Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIsrael\u2019s aggression and criminal acts are not confined to Gaza,\u201d said Iran\u2019s representative, citing violations of regional sovereignty through repeated air strikes on Syria, continued occupation of the Golan Heights, attacks against Lebanon and Yemen, and even aggression against Qatar \u2014 all enabled by the Security Council\u2019s inaction. Between 13 and 24 June, Israel also launched large-scale, unprovoked strikes on Iranian residential areas, hospitals and peaceful nuclear facilities. These acts, coordinated with the United States, constitute grave breaches of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, he warned.<\/p>\n For its part, Lebanon condemned the intensifying Israeli attacks on its civilian infrastructure since November 2024, stressing that Beirut remains \u201cfully committed to the cessation of hostilities\u201d. The country\u2019s delegate added that, despite the severity of these assaults, it is willing to pursue sustainable stability and a comprehensive political solution based on dialogue and negotiations.<\/p>\n The representative of the Russian Federation, Council President for October, speaking in his national capacity, expressed hope that the positive momentum in Gaza could benefit the wider region, urging Israel to recognize that dialogue and genuine consideration of neighbours\u2019 interests can \u201cbetter ensure the safety of its own citizens\u2019 security better than any advanced weapons systems\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cLet the people of Palestine finally know peace, and let this peace extend throughout the region,\u201d added Brazil\u2019s delegate.<\/p>\n Qatar\u2019s representative spotlighted her country\u2019s role in mediation, aid delivery and now Gaza\u2019s recovery efforts. She rejected Israeli land seizures and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which run counter to the two-State solution and could derail the Gaza peace agreement, while also calling for Israel\u2019s full withdrawal from all other sovereign territories across the region.<\/p>\n Egypt, its delegate recalled, is the country that \u201cbroke the terrible psychological barrier between Arabs and Israel\u201d when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Jerusalem in November 1977. The meeting his country hosted in Sharm el-Sheikh on 13 October was another \u201cdecisive historic step\u201d, he said, adding that, in November, Egypt will also host the international conference on recovery, reconstruction and development in Gaza. He looked forward to a Middle East where all people can enjoy a peaceful and dignified life and \u201cyesterday\u2019s opponents can become tomorrow\u2019s partners\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cRebuilding Gaza must not end with bricks and concrete: It must open a political horizon \u2014 a path leading towards a just and lasting peace, embodied in the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine,\u201d said Algeria\u2019s representative. He underscored the need to launch a serious, credible and time-bound peace process, one that leads without ambiguity or delay, to the realization of the State of Palestine.<\/p>\n The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, pledged contributions to Gaza\u2019s stabilization, recovery and reconstruction, also calling on Israel to release withheld Palestinian revenues.<\/p>\n Israel Legally Obligated to Allow Aid into Gaza<\/strong><\/p>\n Sierra Leone\u2019s delegate was among the speakers who highlighted the International Court of Justice\u2019s advisory opinion that Israel is legally obligated to allow aid into Gaza. He called for lifting restrictions on United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and restoring essential services, education and medical access. Adding to that, Panama\u2019s delegate appealed: \u201cAllow schools to return to being schools and hospitals to hospitals rather than war zones.\u201d In that regard, he reaffirmed support for the work carried out by UNRWA and other humanitarian actors.<\/p>\n The Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People said that \u201cit is time for lasting peace,\u201d pointing to the New York Declaration as the \u201croad map\u201d for a two-State solution. T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s representative, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), welcomed the successful adoption of the Declaration and the recent official recognition of the State of Palestine by various Member States, and urged the Council to support and sustain that momentum \u2014 including concrete efforts to bring an end to Israel\u2019s illegal occupation.<\/p>\n \u201cGaza is the homeland of the Palestinian people, not a bargaining chip in international politics,\u201d said China\u2019s representative, stressing that any future governance arrangements must respect the will of the Palestinian people and ensure a two-State solution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 23 October 2025 10023rd Meeting (AM & PM) \u201cDon\u2019t let the opportunity for Middle East peace slip through our fingers.\u201d This was the overarching message conveyed by the Security Council today, as delegates discussed the latest developments following the 9 October agreement \u2014 based on United States President Donald J. 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