S/PV.9728 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Israel to participate in this meeting. I propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the United Nations to participate in the meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; and Ms. Helen Clark, member of The Elders. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I would like to remind everyone that this is an official meeting of the Security Council. Being fully aware that today’s briefing is not an easy one for anyone in the Chamber, I would like to remind all participants and speakers at today’s discussion to engage in the meeting with the utmost respect and to observe appropriate standards of tone, wording and content in their remarks. I give the floor to Mr. Wennesland. Mr. Wennesland: I would like, at the outset, to express my grave concern over the growing risk of a widescale regional escalation. The series of explosions across Lebanon and rockets fired towards Israel in recent days adds to the volatility. I call on all sides to refrain from steps that will further exacerbate the situation and take immediate steps to de-escalate. Turning to today’s briefing, which is devoted to the thirty-first report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), the report covers the period from 11 June to 11 September. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and to fully respect all of its legal obligations in that regard. Settlement activity has continued. In total, some 6,370 housing units were advanced or approved in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of those, 5,840 housing units were in Area C, including three outposts legalized under Israeli law, and nearly 530 housing units were advanced in the Gilo settlement, in East Jerusalem. Construction tenders were published for approximately 1,100 housing units in settlements, including 780 in East Jerusalem. In settlement-related steps, on 18 July, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Central Command signed a military order amending an order from 1995 that implemented the Oslo Accords, so as to grant to the military commander in the area authority over planning and construction in certain parts of Area B that had been transferred to the Palestinian Authority. On 25 June, the civil administration declared over 12,700 dunums as State land in the Jordan Valley, adjacent to 8,000 dunums declared in March. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures continued across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced people to demolish 373 structures, displacing more than 550 people, including 250 children; 26 of those structures were donor-funded. Evictions of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem also continued. Following a Supreme Court ruling, on 15 August Israeli security forces evicted the Shehadeh family from their home in Silwan, in favour of a settler organization, displacing 35 Palestinians. One hundred and eighty-eight Palestinians, including 111 children, left their occupied West Bank communities, citing violence and harassment by settlers and shrinking grazing land. On 19 July, the International Court of Justice rendered its advisory opinion on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Among its findings, the Court reaffirmed that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the regime associated with them have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law. And, among other things, it concluded that it was of the opinion that the State of Israel is under an obligation to immediately cease all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian Territory. It further stated that the State of Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful, that the State of Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible and that all States are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror as well as all acts of provocation and destruction. Unfortunately, the devastating conflict in Gaza has continued alongside daily violence in the occupied West Bank, with the high number of fatal incidents precluding me from detailing them all. In Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, from 11 June to 11 September, at least 3,920 Palestinians were killed and at least 10,200 were injured. That brings the total number reported by the Ministry of Health since 7 October 2023 to more than 41,000 Palestinians killed, a majority of whom are reportedly women and children. According to Israeli sources, 101 hostages are still being held captive, of the 251 hostages abducted on 7 October 2023. On 1 September, the IDF discovered six hostages in Gaza killed by Palestinian armed groups, including two women, and in separate operations recovered the bodies of 12 other killed hostages and rescued one hostage alive. Israeli sources also reported over 1,580 Israelis and foreign nationals killed by Hamas or by other Palestinian armed groups, including at least 338 women and 40 children, and 783 members of the security forces since 7 October 2023 in attacks either in or originating from Gaza. Israel continued to conduct strikes from air, land and sea, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, massive displacement of civilians and widespread destruction, including civilian infrastructure. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to hold hostages in horrific conditions, with reports of severe maltreatment, launched attacks at Israeli forces and fired rockets and other projectiles indiscriminately towards Israel. Israel stated that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to place fighters and military equipment among and underneath areas with dense concentrations of civilians. Israeli operations continued throughout Gaza, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Eighty-nine per cent of Gaza has been placed under evacuation orders at one point or another since 7 October 2023. New evacuation orders have reduced the size of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zones in Al-Mawasi to just 11 per cent of the size Gaza Strip. Repeated attacks on 30 schools and airstrikes in densely populated areas continued, resulting in the deaths of internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in those locations. On 11 September, three IDF air strikes on IDP tents in Al-Mawasi, in Khan Younis, killed at least 19 people and injured at least 60 others. The next day, two IDF air strikes hit the Al-Jaouni school, sheltering IDPs in Nuseirat, killing at least 18 people, including children, women and six staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA said it was the deadliest incident in the Agency’s history. The IDF stated that the target in each strike was a Hamas command and control centre. On 13 July, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 91 Palestinians were killed, and over 300 were injured, in an IDF air strike on Al-Mawasi, which, according to the Israeli Government, killed the commander of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif. On 10 August, an IDF air strike on the Al-Tabeeen school in Gaza City, sheltering approximately 6,000 IDPs, killed at least 93 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The IDF said 31 militants were killed in that attack. On 27 August, despite being clearly marked, a World Food Programme team was struck by gunfire as it was moving towards an IDF checkpoint, sustaining 10 bullet shots. On 9 September, the IDF shot at a United Nations convoy supporting polio vaccinations for children in northern Gaza, caused heavy damage to United Nations vehicles and held the convoy at gunpoint for eight hours, threatening to arrest 12 United Nations staff. During the reporting period, at least 27 United Nations personnel were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of United Nations staff killed since 7 October 2023 to 224. Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued at alarming levels. One hundred and sixty Palestinians, including four women and 28 children, were killed during Israel security forces air strikes, search-and-arrest operations, armed exchanges, demonstrations and other incidents. One Palestinian was killed by Israeli settlers. A total of 849 Palestinians were injured, including 147 by tear gas inhalation and 370 by live ammunition. A total of 86 Palestinians, including nine children and three women, were killed by air strikes. In August, Israeli air strikes in the occupied West Bank killed at least one Palestinian every day on average. Since 7 October 2023, 185 Palestinians, including 33 children, have been killed in air strikes in the West Bank. As reported by Israeli security forces, it is hitting military targets. According to Israeli sources, 14 Israelis, including two women and nine security forces personnel, were killed and another 67 were injured by Palestinians in shooting, stabbing and ramming attacks and other incidents. Israeli security forces carried out 1,673 search-and-arrest operations in the occupied West Bank, resulting in 1,295 Palestinians detained, including at least 57 children. The Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict expressed her deep concern about recently published reports by the United Nations describing a dramatic deterioration in conditions of detention for Palestinian men, women and children under Israeli custody since the 7 October 2023 attacks. Those reports of sexual violence and other inhumane and degrading treatment could amount to sexualized torture perpetrated against Palestinian men and women. In July, Israeli military police arrested several Israeli reserve soldiers suspected of the serious sexual abuse of a Palestinian detainee. In the occupied West Bank, most Palestinians were killed in the context of Israeli security forces operations in Area A, including during exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians. Those situations are characterized by the increased use of air strikes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the destruction to both private property and civilian infrastructure. From 5 to 6 August, the IDF conducted a major operation in Jenin, killing at least six Palestinians in two air strikes and one with live ammunition, injuring another seven in armed clashes. From 28 August to 6 September, the IDF conducted its largest operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002, stating that it was targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members and infrastructure in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 36 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded during the operation, including eight children. The IDF bulldozed water, sewage, electricity and communications lines and approximately 70 per cent of the road network in Jenin city, citing the IED threat to its soldiers. One IDF soldier was shot and killed during the operation. High levels of settler-related violence continued. On 16 August, scores of armed settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Jit, in Qalqilya, shooting and killing one Palestinian man, injuring another and setting fire to Palestinian-owned houses, vehicles and agricultural land. Israel launched an investigation into the incident. A number of senior Israeli officials condemned the attack. On 26 August, dozens of armed Israeli settlers attacked Wadi Rahal village in Bethlehem, during which a Palestinian man was killed. Violence against Israelis by Palestinians also continued at high levels. On 11 August, an Israeli man was killed in a shooting attack in the Jordan Valley, for which Hamas claimed responsibility. On 18 August, a Palestinian killed a guard in the Israeli settlement of Kedumim. The following day, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to have conducted what appeared to be an attempted suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, which led to the death of the attacker and injury to one civilian. The Security Council, in resolution 2334 (2016), called upon both parties to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric. Unfortunately, such acts continued. A joint statement from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened a return to the use of suicide bombings, a call echoed in a speech by a senior Hamas official, while Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades published a graphic leaflet showing an explosive belt and a bombed Israeli bus. In a video posted on social media, an Israeli minister said “Palestinian prisoners must be killed, shot in the head” while urging that the Knesset adopt a bill allowing capital punishment for terrorist offences. Another minister said, of Palestinians in Gaza, “Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned.” Two Israeli ministers made visits to the holy sites in Jerusalem, with one of the ministers calling the site “Israeli sovereign territory”, while speaking of policies to change the status quo. Israel’s Office of the Prime Minister stated that there was no change to the status quo. Resolution 2334 (2016) reiterated calls by the Middle East Quartet for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution. The catastrophic public health conditions in Gaza continued to deteriorate as access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities continued to shrink. Severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies continued to limit the functionality of remaining hospitals and health-care centres, particularly in northern Gaza. Education continued to suffer, with Gaza’s 600,000 children having missed an entire year of school and evacuation orders forcing over 30 temporary education centres to close. Despite these setbacks, UNRWA expanded learning activities. In August, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of polio in 25 years. A polio vaccination campaign was launched on 31 August by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, with support from other agencies, including UNRWA. Thus far, the campaign has vaccinated 70 per cent of some 650,000 children under 10. Following the Israeli military ground operations into Rafah and the subsequent closure of the Rafah crossing in May, humanitarian organizations faced many obstacles that impeded their ability to regularly pick up supplies entering through the Karem Abu Salem/ Kerem Shalom crossing, including continued hostilities, impassable roads and deteriorating civil order. On 6 August, the Israeli Minister of Finance said Israel would confiscate $26 million of Palestinian clearance revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and transfer it to the families of terror victims. The next day, Israel terminated a customs clearance mechanism with Norway that reportedly holds nearly $220 million of Palestinian clearance revenues in escrow and demanded that the funds be returned to Israel. Israel described this as a response to Norway’s recognition of the State of Palestine in May. In Israel, some 120,000 Israelis, including 50,000 children, have been displaced from their homes in the south and north of Israel in the context of the hostilities. In resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council also called upon all States “to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.” No new steps are known to have been taken in this period. In its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice, expressed the view that Member States “are under an obligation … to distinguish in their dealings with Israel between the territory of the State of Israel and the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967”. Resolution 2334 (2016) also called upon “all parties to continue ... to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final-status issues in the Middle East peace process”. Intense negotiations between international mediators and the parties continued in Doha and Cairo to formulate a deal for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages in Gaza. On 27 June, Canada announced that it was imposing new sanctions on seven individuals and five entities for their role in facilitating, supporting or financially contributing to acts of violence by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians and their property. The United States and the European Union also announced another round of sanctions and restrictive measures against settlers and entities. On 13 July, Argentina designated Hamas a terrorist organization and ordered a freeze on its financial assets. From 21 to 23 July, Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, attended reconciliation talks in Beijing, where they signed a declaration reiterating their commitment to form a national unity Government and implement previous agreements. In conclusion, allow me to share the Secretary- General’s observations on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). “I once again strongly condemn the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 October 2023, their continued holding of hostages in Gaza and the recent deliberate killing of six hostages whose bodies showed signs of severe mistreatment. There is no justification for the deliberate killing, maiming, torture and abduction of civilians and the use of sexual violence. Hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. And, for as long as they are held, they must be treated humanely and allowed to receive visits and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross. I condemn the continued indiscriminate attacks, including the firing of rockets towards Israeli population centres and the use of human shields, which are prohibited by international humanitarian law and must cease. “I again unequivocally condemn the widespread killing and injury of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, and the deprivation of essentials to survive. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. I am concerned about what may amount to serious violations of international humanitarian law, including possible non-compliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. I mourn the United Nations staff killed in Gaza and strongly condemn the killing of all health and humanitarian personnel. These incidents must stop immediately and be thoroughly and independently investigated. “The level of suffering witnessed in Gaza is unprecedented in my mandate as Secretary- General. To address the colossal humanitarian needs and improve the intolerable conditions of civilians, Israel must fully open all crossings into Gaza and facilitate the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip in accordance with its obligations under international humanitarian law. “I reiterate my call for an immediate ceasefire to end human suffering and urge all sides to redouble efforts to reach a deal that will bring about an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. I continue to engage all stakeholders towards these objectives. A deal is crucial to saving lives, releasing all the hostages, reducing regional tensions and enabling the United Nations, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, to accelerate efforts to address the pressing needs of Gaza’s population. I welcome the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to reach a deal. “I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror. The escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank and Israel is highly alarming. Palestinian refugee camps are sustaining significant infrastructure damage during Israeli security forces operations throughout the occupied West Bank. I urge the security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life. I call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. All those injured must have access to medical care, and humanitarian workers must be able to reach everyone in need. I also recall that Israel, as the occupying Power, has a responsibility to ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence and call on Israel to ensure thorough, independent and prompt investigations into all instances of possible excessive use of force. “I am deeply concerned about the large number of Palestinians, including children, detained by Israeli security forces and the increase in the number of Palestinians held in administrative detention by Israel since 7 October 2023. Reports of torture and other ill treatment during arrest and detention, including sexual violence, are also deeply concerning. “I condemn the attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, including in the proximity and with the complicity of Israeli security forces. The attack on Jit was illustrative of the increasingly coordinated and deadly nature of these attacks. Attacks by Palestinians against Israel must also cease immediately. I condemn Hamas’s attempted attack in Tel Aviv, and I am alarmed by its call for a return to the use of suicide bombings. All necessary steps must be taken to hold perpetrators accountable. “I reiterate the utmost need to uphold the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, taking into account the special and historic role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as custodian of the holy sites. “I remain deeply troubled by the relentless expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israeli policies and practices are systematically altering the land in the occupied Palestinian territory, creating dangerous dynamics and an existential threat to the two-State solution. Settlement expansion, settler violence and recent Israeli administrative steps and large-scale State land declarations in the occupied West Bank are fundamentally changing the landscape and deepening the occupation. I reiterate that the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. In that respect, I note the recent findings of the International Court of Justice, mentioned above, in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024. “The demolition and seizure of Palestinian- owned structures may entail numerous human rights violations and raise concerns about the risk of forcible transfer. I note the conclusion of the International Court of Justice in that regard. I urge the Government of Israel to end these practices, in line with its obligations under international law. Palestinians must be allowed to build legally and address their development needs. “I am alarmed by the multiple instances in which officials have engaged in dangerous provocations, incitement and inflammatory language, which must be rejected by all. “I express my deep appreciation to UNRWA and all the United Nations agencies and personnel and humanitarian aid workers, who remain committed to their work across the occupied Palestinian territories despite the significant security risks. I am deeply concerned about efforts to undermine their life-saving work. The inviolability of United Nations premises must be respected at all times by all. “To meet the challenges ahead, we must establish political and security frameworks that can address the humanitarian catastrophe, start early recovery, rebuild Gaza and lay the groundwork for a political process to end the occupation and establish a two- State solution. These frameworks must facilitate a legitimate Palestinian Government that can reunify Gaza and the occupied West Bank politically, economically and administratively while reversing the steadily deteriorating dynamics in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian unity is an essential building block to just and lasting peace. Israeli measures that undermine the Palestinian Authority must be urgently addressed. The Government of Palestine will require significant support from the international community to advance these objectives. “Finally, any lasting progress cannot be divorced from the ongoing Israeli occupation and unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Progress towards peace must address and fully realize the fundamental and legitimate right of Palestinians to self-determination and sovereignty over the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territory. It must also address Israel’s legitimate security concerns. We must collectively take steps to establish a political framework that outlines tangible, irreversible steps towards ending the occupation and establishing a two-State solution of Israel and Palestine — of which Gaza is an integral part — living side by side in peace and security on the basis of United Nations resolutions, previous agreements and international law, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. The United Nations will continue to support all efforts towards that goal.”

I thank Mr. Wennesland for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Clark. Ms. Clark: It is an honour to speak to the Council today as a member of The Elders. Resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a priority for our group since its founding by Nelson Mandela in 2007. The implementation of resolution 2334 (2016) is acutely relevant to the current devastating phase of the conflict and to any chance of securing a fair and durable two-State solution in line with international law. But its failure so far also poses an existential question: can the Security Council enforce its own resolutions? That is surely crucial to its credibility. The Elders unequivocally condemn the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks and the holding of hostages by Hamas, which have caused deep trauma for the Israeli people. We also unequivocally condemn Israel’s disproportionate military response, including its bombardment, siege and blockade of Gaza. This amounts to collective punishment and is causing great suffering and trauma to the Palestinian people. The Security Council has a responsibility to chart a path towards a sustainable peace. A full, immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza is an indispensable step. It is deeply disturbing that resolution 2735 (2024), calling for this, remains unimplemented. It is clear that unless and until the root causes of the conflict are addressed, violence will persist and escalate. The conflict-management approach pursued by powerful members of the international community has failed. A new approach, grounded in international law, including the enforcement of the Council’s resolutions, is needed. Council members who question the binding status of those resolutions or who use their veto to protect an ally or to oppose a geopolitical rival are eroding the Council’s authority. They also undermine their own reputations and long-term interests. All Member States are also bound to respect and comply with decisions of the International Court of Justice. That includes the provisional measures ordered to protect Palestinians in Gaza. The International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, while non-binding, is an authoritative, landmark ruling. It concludes that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible. That obligation does not depend on achieving a successful outcome to peace negotiations. The General Assembly and Security Council should give effect to the advisory opinion by adopting resolutions endorsing it and setting out what action is required by Israel, other Member States and the United Nations to bring an end to the occupation. The Elders welcome the adopting of General Assembly resolution ES-10/24 on that issue yesterday. How will the Security Council respond to the advisory opinion? Resolution 2334 (2016) reaffirmed the illegality of the settlements. Yet settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem continues to accelerate while attention is focused on Gaza. More decisive Member State action is needed. All Member States must distinguish between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory in all forms of cooperation and cease any assistance to or trade with illegal settlements. Targeted measures should be applied against State and non-State entities and individuals responsible for maintaining and expanding illegal settlements. Steps have already been taken, including by the United States of America and the European Union, to sanction settlers for attacks on Palestinian civilians. But sanctions should also target financial flows to entities which are funding and constructing illegal settlements, and those in the Government of Israel who are pursuing annexation. The Council must respect the process of criminal accountability through the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the ICC Prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants in response to alleged atrocity crimes by Hamas and the Government of Israel. Member States seeking to undermine the ICC are damaging the international rule of law. They are undermining accountability in other contexts, including in the context of Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine. That must stop. There will be no security for Israelis or Palestinians if the war in Gaza is followed by a continuation of unlawful occupation and annexation. But without a decisive change of direction, that seems likely. The Elders propose a set of guiding principles to underpin a pathway towards sustainable peace, based on self-determination, sovereignty and mutual security for both peoples. First, full United Nations membership and recognition of the State of Palestine should be supported by all Council members and other States now. Statehood is not dependent on peace negotiations. Strengthening the Palestinian Authority remains crucial, but statehood should not have to wait for governance reforms. Secondly, the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab States is essential for Israel’s long- term security and for regional stability and prosperity. But full normalization must be conditional on Israel ending the occupation permanently and supporting the implementation of a two-State solution. Thirdly, the security of Palestinians and Israelis must be given equal weighting. There can be no sovereign State of Palestine with continued Israeli security control over the Palestinian people. Israel’s security concerns do not justify unlawful occupation or annexation. Fourthly and finally, the goal of a single, unified Government overseeing Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem should be supported by all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and by the entire international community. Sustainable peace will require reconciliation under the umbrella of a revitalized Palestine Liberation Organization, based on adherence to international law. Violence against civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups must end. All of that requires bold, principled leadership and the political will to break with the failed policies of the past. All forms of leverage should be applied, including the suspension of arms transfers in response to continued violations of international law. Only by implementing international legal obligations, ensuring accountability and ending impunity can a path to end the conflict be created once and for all.

I thank Ms. Clark for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. In March, I hosted, in our capital, the representatives of two organizations: Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun. Together they are leading the mothers’ call. They are Palestinian and Israeli mothers determined to stop the cycle of violence and change the reality of the conflict between the two nations for the benefit of their children and for generations to come. I was very much inspired by what they described as resistance in hope. We are at the precipice. Almost a year into the war, the devastation and immense suffering of civilians continues relentlessly. The hostages have not returned home. Civilians in Gaza continue to endure unprecedented levels of violence and destruction. The potential to engulf the region in a wider conflict remains at an all-time high. The most recent escalation in Lebanon is another sign of it. Despite that, I, just as the mothers I spoke with, continue to embrace hope — hope that peace returns to Gaza and the West Bank. First, we need compliance with international law. Since day one of the conflict, we have called for compliance with international law. Instead, serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law persist, challenging the very notion of the international legal framework, which we collectively established to safeguard all people and to protect the most vulnerable in particular. On top of that, resolutions of the Security Council and provisional orders of the International Court of Justice are being blatantly disregarded. Such violations weaken the credibility of our institutions and erode global trust. In the shadow of the appalling situation in Gaza, policies in favour of settlements and settlement expansion have accelerated at an unprecedented pace, settler violence is on the rise and the situation in the West Bank is boiling. The status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem is being repeatedly violated. Negative trends must be met with positive and concrete steps. I therefore warmly welcome the adoption of General Assembly resolution ES-10/24, following the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, which provides tangible steps towards a blueprint for peace. It is now time for the Council to follow suit. Secondly, we need respect  — more respect for the prevailing sentiment of the wider United Nations membership which demands a ceasefire and a just and lasting peace. We need more respect for the United Nations system, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and more compliance with its Charter. That is the best prospect for alleviating the unimaginable suffering. We need a more respectful and action-orientated dialogue in the Chamber — one that prioritizes peace over partisanship. We also need respect and dialogue between people in the region. That starts, first and foremost, with leadership for peace on both sides. Leadership cannot be based on incitement, hatred, provocation or terrorism, and neither can it endorse such actions. It must also be respectful of other opinions, especially in civil society. Thirdly, we need courage, in order to uphold our commitments to a two-State solution, which remains the only path to durable peace. I say that as the Foreign Minister of a country that has taken a clear stance for peace in the conflict. We have decided to be active in the Council and to deliver on what we promised during our campaign — building trust and securing the future. We therefore took a decision to vote for admitting the State of Palestine to membership in the United Nations. We also recognized the State of Palestine. I urge others to take similar steps. Universal recognition of Palestine and its admission as a full United Nations Member is an essential element in our shared agenda for peace. The future of peace in the region will slip away if tangible steps are not taken. It is the job of the Council as a whole, and of its individual members as well, to act as guarantors for peace, with courage. Clearly, we need also courageous leaders in the region — leaders willing to set aside their individual interests, who dare to dream of a different region, turning a new page in this decades- long conflict, and who dare to envision a different future, one where the normalization of relations is possible and where militarization gives way to cooperation. Lastly, we need diplomacy. We need diplomacy to succeed in delivering a ceasefire. Yes, we must do the hard work of diplomacy bilaterally, but we must also do the hard work of diplomacy multilaterally. Past peace processes have not yielded the results we want to see. We therefore believe that there should be an inclusive, meaningful and time-bound peace process, coupled with reconstruction. We want to see the United Nations playing a central role in that, and a Palestinian Government strong enough to shoulder its responsibilities. I welcome the day-after plan presented by the Palestinian Prime Minister. But diplomacy must be more than words — it requires concerted action. We call for the swift convening of an international peace conference, as agreed in Madrid, to advance a two- State solution. I imagine a mother in Gaza beaming with joy as her child can study again. I imagine a mother in Tel Aviv not needing to teach her child how to use a shelter. I imagine a mother in Jenin not worrying whether her child will be detained. That is the future I dream of — a future in which peace is not just a possibility but a reality. The first step towards that reality is an immediate ceasefire. The Council is the most powerful body for peace and security in the world. I have always maintained that the strongest and most suitable and sustainable tool in diplomacy is dialogue. However, dialogue cannot consist of words alone. It must include listening and understanding. But here in this Chamber, dialogue must lead to meaningful action. If not, the Council must also open a new chapter in the tools that it is ready to use. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank Coordinator Wennesland and Ms. Clark for their briefings. This is a decisive moment for the parties to the ongoing conflict and for the security of the broader region. The Council will have an opportunity to further discuss the situation with regard to Lebanon tomorrow afternoon. The United States continues to gather facts, and we reiterate that it is not in any party’s interests for there to be a broader regional conflict. Indeed, Secretary Blinken continues to work for an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal consistent with resolution 2735 (2024). As he emphasized yesterday during his visit to Egypt, we all know that the ceasefire deal is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and address regional stability. It is imperative that all parties refrain from actions that could lead to an escalation of broader regional tensions and undermine the ongoing negotiations. We have also called on all parties to the fighting in Gaza to avoid putting civilians at risk and to take serious steps to ensure that humanitarian personnel are able to do their jobs and help save lives. There is no clearer evidence of Hamas’s total indifference to Palestinian civilians in Gaza than the fact that its members continue to hide under civilian sites. For the sake of civilians on all sides of the conflict, that must stop. We must not grow numb to the human suffering in the region. Again, it is manifestly in the interests of Israelis, Palestinians and every country in the region for the fighting in Gaza to stop and a broader conflict to be averted. As we have emphasized before, a ceasefire in Gaza could reduce tensions along the Blue Line, creating conditions for displaced Lebanese civilians to go home in the south, and for Israeli civilians displaced by Hizbullah’s persistent rocket attacks since 7 October 2023 to return to their homes. As we heard today, the situation in the West Bank also remains one of grave concern. We condemn deadly violence against Palestinian civilians by extremist settlers in the West Bank. Moreover, we reiterate that Israel would be well advised to refrain from military operations and other measures that risk further inflaming tensions and destabilizing an already combustible situation. Israel’s programme of support for expanding settlements is inconsistent with international law and only serves to weaken Israel’s security by inflaming tensions and undercutting the efforts to achieve a two-State solution. The Security Council can and should play a constructive role consistent with the principles that President Biden outlined in May and that the Council endorsed in resolution 2735 (2024)  — to encourage Hamas to accept the deal on the table, promote a de-escalation of regional tensions and reaffirm to all parties that unilateral measures such as settlements and one-sided resolutions in New York will not bring about a two-State solution. Implementing resolution 2735 (2024) will also require political will from leaders in the region. There is no alternative to a negotiated end to the fighting in Gaza and there is no alternative path to achieving a two-State solution other than through direct negotiations between the parties. The United States will continue to do everything possible to put forward ideas and proposals to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza that will help lay the foundation for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. We see the paths before us. One would save lives, bring relief to the people of Gaza, bring the hostages home and de-escalate regional tensions. The other, darker, path that we should all endeavour to avoid going down any further is marked by further impasses in ceasefire talks, civilian suffering in Gaza and a risk of additional unilateral actions that could set off a broader conflict. Hamas wants the region to go down the second path, for the fighting and suffering in Gaza to continue and for there to a be a broader regional conflict. It is therefore on the shoulders of anyone who wants to see the war end and cares about the plight of Palestinian civilians to press Hamas to engage constructively and close the deal on the table. That is the best way to ensure that the war ends and the region does not go down a darker path in the coming weeks.

I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his oral briefing on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). I also thank Her Excellency Ms. Helen Clark for her valuable insights. The report by the Special Coordinator has once again confirmed Israel’s obstinate stance on settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in violation of resolution 2334 (2016). Israel continues to dig in its heels on its colonial settler policy. That is despite the resolution’s clear provisions that Israel’s establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The extent of Israel’s ongoing settlement activities is reflected in the fact that demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure this year have reached the highest number seen in two decades, and with a greater number of fatalities, owing to the use of more brutal tactics in the demolitions. The recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice also definitively established Israel’s obligation to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, cease all new settlement activities immediately and evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory. The resolution that the General Assembly adopted yesterday (resolution ES-10/24) laid out the next steps following the issuance of the advisory opinion, and we call on Israel and all Member States to fulfil their obligations as set out in that resolution. We have taken note that since our previous briefing on resolution 2334 (2016) (see S/PV.9667), the situation in the occupied West Bank has worsened considerably, with several air strikes on civilian infrastructure and a recent large-scale military operation that left many Palestinians displaced, their homes destroyed and their property taken over by Israeli settlers. We note, for example, that according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 1,628 Palestinians have been displaced in incidents involving Israeli settlers since 7 October 2023. All of that is enabled by the Israeli legal system, which systematically awards Palestinian lands to colonial settlers, thereby empowering its security officials to protect the people who act based on those decisions. We have been talking about this issue for so long that the danger of becoming rote in our response to that illegality is very real. We must never become numb to such violations of international law, because we risk normalizing Israeli settlement policies and practices. Let us not forget what those policies and practices translate to for the thousands of Palestinians who are paying high prices  — even that of death  — for resisting the destruction of their homes and livelihoods. The danger of Israel’s settler policy lies in the fact that it is intended to alter the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, in furtherance of the one-State solution that it unabashedly advocates and pursues. It is in clear violation of international humanitarian law and the relevant resolutions of both the Security Council and the General Assembly. Guyana therefore condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s continuing disregard for the decisions of the Council and international law more generally. A two-State solution remains the only viable pathway to bringing about an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Council must therefore respond to Israel’s actions, which are steadily eroding the possibility of a two-State solution and entrenching a one-State reality. We must not countenance the illegalities that are born from such a plan. All members have a responsibility, pursuant to resolution 2334 (2016), to make Israel’s continuation of its settlement expansion consequential. When there are more than 700,000 illegal settlers, a few visa restrictions can hardly be expected to have any real impact. Visa restrictions for anyone living in settlements set up in areas outside the pre-1967 borders could have a much greater impact. Refusing to engage commercially with any individual, group or entity living, operating or maintaining interests in settlements that violate the pre-1967 borders will definitely have a real impact. Collectively and individually, Member States must consider such decisions, with a view to stemming the tide of illegality and disregard for the resolutions and decisions on the question of Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Let me conclude by once again emphasizing the urgency of redoubling efforts to achieve a two-State solution. That must be in tandem with the obligation created by the General Assembly for Israel to vacate all of the Palestinian territory that it now occupies. We also call again for an immediate ceasefire and for the return of all hostages held in Gaza and Palestinians detained illegally in Israel. The unresolved conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to hinder peace and security in the Middle East, and we appeal to all Member States to act urgently and genuinely to bring the conflict to a permanent, peaceful and just end. Guyana is prepared to do its part.

I too would like to thank Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland and Ms. Helen Clark for their briefings. We are sadly moving towards the first anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent military operations, resulting in the unfathomable humanitarian suffering in Gaza. The Republic of Korea once again reiterates its call on both parties to faithfully engage in the negotiations for the deal detailed in resolution 2735 (2024). An immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, combined with a surge in humanitarian aid throughout Gaza, will and should lay the ground for a path of peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine. As my delegation has repeatedly stressed, it is a legal obligation of the parties, including Israel, to protect civilians and humanitarian workers at all times. In that regard, we are deeply concerned about the fact that Israel has now targeted Al-Jaouni School in Nuseirat camp five times since October 2023. The targeted facility was sheltering 12,000 displaced people. We believe that Israel can do more to satisfy its obligations under international humanitarian law. At the same time, Hamas must stop endangering civilians by using civilian infrastructure for military purposes. For almost a year, the focus in the Security Council has been on the dire situation in Gaza. However, it is clear that we should not forget the ongoing instability and exacerbating violence in another part of Palestine, the West Bank. We are witnessing, with grave apprehension, escalating violence by multiple actors in the West Bank, including the Israeli security forces, Palestinian militant groups and extremist settlers. In addition, we are appalled that more than 600 Palestinians, including 158 children, and 18 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October 2023. We call for immediate steps to be taken to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, in accordance with resolution 2334 (2016). We are particularly concerned about the killing of a staff member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) last Friday, the first UNRWA employee to be killed in the West Bank in more than a decade. We are also deeply troubled by the killing of an American-Turkish activist in the West Bank earlier this month. We call for a thorough investigation, as well as accountability for any wrongdoing. At the same time, we remain deeply dismayed by the ongoing land seizures, home demolitions and illegal outpost construction being carried out in the West Bank with impunity by both extremist settlers and Israeli security forces. We are also shocked by the ongoing vandalism by settlers, often alongside the military, against Palestinian families and their property. It is urgent that Israel fundamentally change its policies towards Palestinians. Resolution 2334 (2016) was adopted long before the current conflict in Gaza started, yet that eight- year-old resolution details all the agreed-upon guiding principles that we should keep in mind as we strive to resolve the Palestinian question. As provided for in the resolution, the establishment of Israeli settlements constitutes a flagrant violation under international law. We urge Israel to stop any measures that amount to annexation of Palestinian land, including the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. I would like to conclude my statement by reiterating one important element of resolution 2334 (2016) that we should not forget: a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East through negotiations between parties based on the principle of land for peace. We believe that any action in the United Nations — both in the Council and in the General Assembly — intended to resolve the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine should be firmly based on the negotiated peace process reflected in resolution 2334 (2016). We believe that a negotiated solution is still possible. Once a ceasefire is in place, we call on Israel and Palestine, the latter represented by a reformed and strengthened Palestinian Authority, to directly engage in talks that will revisit the long-overdue aspiration, based on the vision of the two-State solution, which will, in turn, lead to a durable peace and stability in the whole region.

I thank Mr. Wennesland and Ms. Clark for their briefings. Faced with the acceleration of settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Security Council must react. France’s position is consistent: settlement activity is in contravention of international law, and we condemn it. France will never recognize the illegal annexation of territories or the legalization of illegal settlements. We have condemned the Israeli attacks on schools in the Gaza Strip. France has also condemned the recurring attacks by violent settlers on schools in the West Bank. We call on Israel to take the necessary measures without delay to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territories and to ensure that their right to education is upheld. Everything must be done to avoid a conflagration in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. France condemns the acts of violence committed by settlers and deplores the forced displacement of Palestinian communities. In East Jerusalem, the historic status quo regarding the holy sites must be upheld. Resolution 2334 (2016), which aims to establish the legal distinction between the territory of Israel recognized by the international community and the occupied territories, must be fully respected. France demands an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages. France once again condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October 2023. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has become unbearable. Full humanitarian access must be guaranteed so that populations can be rescued. It is more urgent than ever to lay the foundations for a political settlement in order to implement the two- State solution, which alone can guarantee peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. France reaffirms its unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to the establishment of a viable, sovereign and contiguous State for the Palestinians. We call for the establishment of a reformed Palestinian Authority capable of fulfilling its responsibilities throughout the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip. Measures aimed at weakening the Palestinian Authority must cease. France calls on Israel to stop obstructing the transfer of revenues. We remain committed to preventing any risk of escalation on the Blue Line and to promoting a diplomatic solution. We urge all stakeholders in the region to adopt a responsible attitude.

We meet in a period of deep uncertainty for the Middle East. We have warned, cautioned and called for restraint, but with Lebanon rocked and shocked by indiscriminate explosions of communication devices, we fear that we are on the cusp of the dreaded regional escalation, if not in it already. Sierra Leone shares the Secretary-General’s deep alarm and urges all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint in order to avert any further escalation. We also meet at a time of great hope, with the effective response by the General Assembly to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and with the overwhelming vote to adopt the resolution (General Assembly resolution ES-10/24) that demands that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence” in the occupied Palestinian territory. The action of the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice advisory opinion do have a bearing on our meeting today. I therefore thank our briefers, Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland and Ms. Helen Clark, member of The Elders and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, for their comprehensive and instructive briefings. Resolution 2334 (2016) underpins the relevance of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as the resolution examines some of the fundamental causes of the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict. The prolonged nature of the conflict stems, in part, from the problems of settlements, annexations and blockades and their destabilizing effect on the Palestinian people and their institutions. The painful realities resulting from the illegal settlement policies of Israel are evident in the lives of the Palestinians, whose basic freedoms and associated human rights are suppressed daily. In the Gaza Strip, the escalation of violence since the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and the Israeli military response since then have had a huge humanitarian impact on the civilian population. Millions of Palestinian civilians live through a perpetual nightmare of fear, suffering and trauma from Israeli bombs and guns, while civilians still struggle to gain access to the most basic services. A recent update from the World Food Programme highlighted that, as winter approaches, the worsening security situation and damaged roads in Gaza will complicate the delivery of vital food, water, medicine and hygiene supplies to areas where those supplies are critical for the survival of communities. As reported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, hygiene items, such as soap, shampoo, detergent and sanitary pads for women, are in short supply, and families struggle to maintain basic hygiene in overcrowded shelters. That has led to the spread of high-risk health conditions. The pattern of repeated evacuation orders and closures of crossing points for aid delivery continues to hamper humanitarian efforts and discourage humanitarian personnel, who also have to deal with the very real fear of being attacked and killed by Israel Defense Forces weapons. Further, we remain deeply concerned about the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where approximately 674 Palestinians, including 150 children, as confirmed by UNICEF, have been killed between 7 October 2023 and 9 September 2024. The conflicting parties’ failure to take the necessary precautions to spare and protect civilians is a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Sierra Leone condemns the resumption of violence in the northern West Bank in the Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Al-Far’a camps. As reported, that operation affected residential and commercial buildings, resulting in the interruption of basic services in the area. The reported increases in settler violence, annexation, demolitions and displacement are all contrary to the provisions of resolution 2334 (2016), which stresses the importance of ending all settlement activities and calls for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, as well as acts of provocation and destruction. Importantly, in its 19 July 2024 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice noted that Israel has continued its settlement policy in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, and that before the removal of Israel’s settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the settlement policy it carried out in the Gaza Strip was not substantially different from the one that continues in the West Bank and East Jerusalem today. Among other things, the Court notes that Israel’s construction of settlements is accompanied by a specially designed civilian infrastructure in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that integrates the settlements into the territory of Israel. Israel’s transfer of settlers to the West Bank and East Jerusalem and maintenance of their presence is found to be contrary to the sixth paragraph of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Accordingly, and as noted by Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland, the International Court of Justice is of the opinion that the State of Israel is under an obligation to cease all new settlement activities immediately and to evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory. In view of resolution 2334 (2016) and the Council’s mandate, the Security Council now stands in judgment of the Member States of the United Nations and the international community as a whole. As a member of The Elders and a former Prime Minister, Ms. Clarke has asked how the Security Council will respond. In keeping with the provisions of resolution 2334 (2016), Sierra Leone would like to emphasize the following points. First, the establishment of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory continues and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution. New settlement activities must cease immediately and all settlers must be evacuated from the occupied Palestinian territory. Secondly, parties to the conflict are reminded of their obligation to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures — which are binding on the parties — and the customary international law that has been crystallized by the International Court of Justice, even in advisory opinions. Thirdly, we support international efforts towards a resumption of peace negotiations to end the hostilities in the Gaza Strip, as endorsed in resolution 2735 (2024), that will put in place and set in motion a political settlement. The ongoing tireless efforts of the mediators  — Egypt, Qatar and the United States — need the impartial support of the international community, especially States that have influence on the conflicting parties. Allow me to conclude by reiterating Sierra Leone’s support for the ongoing initiatives aimed at reforming the governance structure of the Palestinian Authority so as to guarantee its access to resources and further strengthen its autonomy and influence. A two-State solution needs a strengthened Palestinian Authority.

I would like to thank Mr. Tor Wennesland and Ms. Helen Clark, a member of The Elders, for their briefings on the current situation regarding settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Israel’s settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory remain a matter of grave concern, exacerbated by the complex political, social and humanitarian implications for both Israelis and Palestinians. The heightened tensions in the Gaza Strip and the potential for a regional escalation of the conflict further complicate an already tense situation. Recent reports indicate the presence of between 600,000 and 750,000 Israeli settlers in at least 250 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, involving the transfer of Israel’s civilian population into the occupied territory. Mindful of the gravity of the situation, the International Court of Justice recently issued an advisory opinion, declaring that Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, violate international law. The Court also emphasized that the settlements and the policies associated with them amount to de facto annexation and systematic discrimination against Palestinians. The ruling has significant implications in that it calls for Israel to cease all new settlement activity and evacuate the settlers from these areas. Furthermore, we acknowledge the General Assembly’s adoption yesterday, 18 September, of its resolution ES-10/24, demanding that Israel end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. The resolution calls for Israel to comply with international law, cease all new settlement activity, evacuate the settlers and dismantle parts of the separation wall in the West Bank. Resolution 2334 (2016), the International Court of Justice’s orders and the recent General Assembly resolutions collectively provide a robust foundation for our concerted action. They reflect the international community’s steadfast commitment to addressing the situation and pursuing a just, lasting and sustainable peace in the region. They also demonstrate human awareness on the part of the international community of justice and the noble cause of Palestine. We emphasize the crucial role of the international community, including the Security Council, in facilitating dialogue and negotiations between the parties involved and in addressing the root causes of the conflict, such as the issue of land ownership and the status of Jerusalem. Mozambique, drawing on its own historical experiences of conflict, firmly opposes the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, particularly women and children. We also urge strongly for the full implementation in good faith of all relevant instruments related to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory in order to reverse the ongoing situation and end the people’s suffering. Mozambique reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. We also recognize the State of Israel’s right to exist. That dual recognition serves as a foundation for peaceful coexistence, envisioning both nations as independent and sovereign States in accordance with resolution 242 (1967) and other relevant United Nations resolutions. In conclusion, we call on all parties to engage in constructive dialogue, adhere to international law and work towards a peaceful solution that ensures the rights and security of both Israelis and Palestinians.

I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland and Ms. Clark for their respective updates and briefings. The current catastrophe in Gaza began with the horrifying acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas and other militant groups. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the 7 October 2023 attack, as well as the taking and killing of hostages, some of whom are enduring an unimaginable horror, which is totally unacceptable. At the same time, the conflict rages on with no end in sight, and the suffering of the Palestinians only grows. Japan is appalled at the unconscionable toll of deaths and injuries, including many civilians and even United Nations staff and aid workers. The devastation of the Palestinian people is beyond our comprehension. They are trying to survive in overcrowded makeshift shelters and tents while suffering a severe shortage of essential supplies and restricted access to basic services. No human should have to experience what they have been experiencing for nearly a year now. Beyond Gaza, the conflict continues to spread. In the West Bank, we are concerned about the casualties and level of destruction following Israel’s recent military operations. Japan condemns continued settlement expansion and violence and seizures of land by Israeli settlers. That must cease. Twenty-four hours ago, the General Assembly adopted resolution ES-10/24, regarding the International Court of Justice advisory opinion. We underscore once again that settlements are in violation of international law, as pointed out in the advisory opinion. With regard to Lebanon, we are seriously concerned about the alarming incidents this week, which reportedly caused multiple casualties and thousands of injuries. Continued attacks across the Blue Line are very dangerous. No one desires a full-scale war between Israel and Hizbullah. We must all do all we can to avoid one. We must change the course of the never-ending vicious cycle of violence in the Middle East. Let me make three points in that regard. First, we need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages based on the outlines of resolution 2735 (2024). Japan continues to support the tireless mediation efforts of the United States, Egypt and Qatar to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, which will also help bring calm to the inflamed region. Secondly, even before a ceasefire is achieved, the international community must make plans for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. Removing the rubble alone will take decades, while restoring the basic civil system and infrastructure, including health and education, will require enormous time and resources. These are only some of the numerous challenges we will face on the day after. In that vein, it is imperative to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, including its financial governance capacities. Thirdly and finally, a two-State solution is the only viable path to resolve this decades-long tragic conflict. Japan sincerely hopes to see a Middle East where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and stability, with recognized borders, and we will spare no efforts to that end.

At the outset, I thank Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland for his briefing this morning. I reiterate Ecuador’s support for his work and that of all the staff of the United Nations and its agencies. I also thank Ms. Clark for her valuable contribution. Gaza has been called the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian activities. I think that is undoubtedly so. The events of the past days and weeks have confirmed it. The urgent and sufficient provision of humanitarian aid is therefore a necessity. Obstacles to the entry or distribution of aid are unacceptable. Attacks against humanitarian personnel are reprehensible. Conflict deconfliction mechanisms must be effective and reliable. It is hard to believe that they are not so, even as we are almost a year into the war. The 28 August incident, in which fire was opened on a World Food Programme convoy, is particularly alarming. The fighting continues unabated, while some 100 hostages remain in captivity almost a year after the terrorist acts perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023, which included the abuse and rape of women in Israel and which Ecuador once again firmly condemns. This situation is discouraging, especially considering that three months ago the Council adopted resolution 2735 (2024) in support of a ceasefire proposal, which, had it been implemented, would have resulted in a cessation of hostilities, would have allowed the release of hostages, would have facilitated the safe, sufficient and timely delivery of humanitarian aid to all those in need and would have contributed to reducing tensions in the region. Developments in the West Bank are not encouraging either. My country, in line with the Council’s February 2023 presidential statement (S/PRST/2023/1), strongly opposes all unilateral measures that hinder peace and jeopardize the two-State solution, such as settlement construction and expansion, land confiscation, the legalization of settlement outposts, the demolition of homes and the displacement of civilians. The death of Ayşenur Eygi — the circumstances of which must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible identified — and repeated attacks by settlers are examples of the ongoing risk faced by Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. The vicious cycle of destruction, death and revenge must be stopped now. To achieve this, it is time for leaders to act with courage and humanity. I conclude this speech by reiterating my country’s conviction that the only way out is to move towards a peaceful, definitive and just solution for the parties, with the existence of two States, Palestine and Israel, on the basis of the 1967 borders and the relevant resolutions. It is necessary to act with pragmatism and realism so that this solution, which is supported by the vast majority of the international community, can become a reality. Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom): I join others in thanking Special Coordinator Wennesland and Ms. Helen Clark for their briefings today. The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 40,000. Water, sanitation and health infrastructure has been almost completely destroyed. Disease and the risk of famine pose further deadly threats. And Israel continues to reckon with the appalling toll of 7 October 2023, with 101 hostages still held captive in Gaza, subject to unspeakable horror. Elsewhere in the occupied Palestinian territories and across the region, tensions are escalating. We need to see three things in that regard. First, there must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and a ramping up of aid in Gaza. A deal is the best way to get the hostages home. Force will not provide a sustainable solution to the conflict. The ceasefire and hostage deal, driven by the commendable efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt, has to be finalized as a matter of urgency. We call upon Hamas and Israel to agree to a deal and, in the meantime, for Hamas to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross humanitarian access to the hostages, whose ordeal continues. Our message to Hamas is let them go. With winter fast approaching, we call on Israel to take swift action to allow the United Nations and humanitarian actors to do their job by making deconfliction work, reopening land routes for aid and supporting preparations for winter by allowing a rapid increase in the volume of items for shelter and infrastructure repair. Secondly, we must address the deteriorating situation in the West Bank. The expansion of settlements, in clear violation of international law, undermines prospects for peace and must cease immediately. We have witnessed with grave concern how an increasing number of Israeli settlers have systemically used harassment, intimidation and violence to pressure Palestinian communities to leave their land. We call on Israel to hold those responsible to account. We reiterate our clear position that any attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of the occupied Palestinian territories through the use of force and outside of a negotiated solution is wholly unacceptable and illegal. We also call for an end to the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric we have seen from Israeli ministers, which serve to fuel aggression towards Palestinians and humanitarian workers. Finally, we need to galvanize a political process towards a two-State solution. As the International Court of Justice has advised, Israel should bring an end to its presence in the occupied territories as rapidly as possible. The United Kingdom is clear: that must be done through a negotiated solution, with the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in line with the 1967 borders and under the effective control of the Palestinian Authority. Peace must be premised upon a safe and secure Israel, alongside a safe and secure Palestinian State.

I thank you, Madam President, for your presence today and for organizing this quarterly debate. I would also like to thank the Special Coordinator for his presentation of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). I thank Ms. Helen Clark for her briefing as well. Switzerland supports the International Court of Justice and its advisory opinion of 19 July on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The illegality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, which has been ongoing since 1967, is now beyond doubt. It must end, and a political horizon must be re-established. We remain convinced that the two-State solution is the only possible option for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace, security and dignity, within secure and recognized borders, in accordance with international law and internationally agreed parameters. To that end, Switzerland welcomes the fact that resolution ES-10/24, adopted yesterday, recognizes the need to relaunch a process to achieve a two-State solution. We support the call for a United Nations-led peace conference to be held during the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly. For its part, Switzerland, as depositary State of the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols Additional, will honour the mandate conferred on it yesterday by the General Assembly and organize a Conference of High Contracting Parties within six months. In accordance with article 1 common to the Geneva Conventions, it is indeed imperative to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. Concrete measures must be taken immediately to protect the civilian population. Since 7 October 2023, settler attacks, threats and intimidation against civilians, including humanitarian workers, have exponentially increased in the West Bank. One example among many is Monday’s settler attack on an elementary school near Jericho, in which at least seven pupils and teachers were injured, according to reports. Switzerland condemns such attacks, which, along with the construction of settlements, contribute to the creation of a coercive environment and lead to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities. That is compounded by an intensification of Israeli military operations. The use of force in those operations must meet the criteria of necessity and proportionality and respect every individual’s right to life and security. Furthermore, Switzerland condemns the announcements by Israeli leaders to expand the settlements, which are illegal under international humanitarian law. The establishment of a new settlement, by legalizing an outpost, in Wadi Makhrur, near Bethlehem, in an area listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, is the most recent example in a series of similar decisions that sabotage the two-State solution. In Gaza, hostilities continue to claim numerous civilian victims against the backdrop of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The success of the first wave of polio vaccinations shows that large-scale humanitarian operations can be carried out in Gaza with sincere political will. The parties must respect international humanitarian law and facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians in need, including hostages, whose immediate and unconditional release we call for. A ceasefire is urgently needed. The Council has clearly demanded it in resolutions 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024), which must be implemented. We support the mediation efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt to that end. That is essential to prevent further escalation in the region. Switzerland is deeply concerned about by the explosions in Lebanon on 17 and 18 September and the reports of numerous civilian casualties. We also call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to work towards immediate de-escalation. We also call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in all circumstances. Switzerland stands ready, both within and outside the Security Council, to contribute to restoring peace and security in the region.

I would like to begin my statement by expressing my gratitude to Mr. Wennesland for his alarming briefing in which he once again underscored the stark realities in the Middle East. In his presentation of the report of the Secretary-General on the on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), the words most used by Mr. Wennesland were “killing”, “killed” and “kills”. I wish also to extend my thanks to Ms. Helen Clark for her remarks and especially for her recommendation. Today we are called upon to take a serious and clear stand against the deteriorating situation in the region. The primary task of the Security Council is the maintenance of international peace and security. That cannot be achieved through fleeting words eloquently delivered before the cameras. The gravity of the situation in the Middle East requires more than rhetoric. It demands decisive and swift action. Everyone under this roof must recognize that the region is on the edge of an abyss or a precipice, as you, Madam President, have stated. If it falls into the darkness, the consequences will be far- reaching, and no one will be immune. We must heed the lessons of history to prevent the worst, which is no less than a full-fledged regional war. The Israeli occupying Power is continuing its apartheid policies, relentlessly pursuing plans for ethnic cleansing in Gaza and pushing the West Bank to the brink of chaos. It is also creating a new fait accompli on the ground. This year alone we have witnessed unprecedented levels of settlement, expansion and annexations of land. It is evident that resolution 2334 (2016) has had no tangible impact. The Israeli occupier is acting with impunity, as if operating in a lawless jungle. It has continued to renege on previous agreements and has consistently violated international law, the very foundation of civilized society. If we are serious about protecting future generations from the scourge of war, as we pledged in the Charter of the United Nations, the solution is clear. There can be no peace in the Middle East without the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice delivered on 19 July of this year is addressed to both the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Court states that the precise modalities for ending Israel’s unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory are matters that both organs should address. The General Assembly has already heeded that call through its adoption yesterday of resolution ES-10/24. Will the Council remain deaf to the Court’s demands? Will it continue to disregard the principles that underpin the United Nations? What will remain of the Council if it does not respond to the directives of our Organization’s highest judicial body? It is the Council’s inaction that is encouraging the Israeli occupying Power to continue its brutal policies. The deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, as Mr. Wennesland highlighted in his briefing, makes clear the terror endured by Palestinians, a terror that spares no one, not even children. No Palestinian, regardless of gender or age, has been spared that violence, but we see no investigations into the killing of Palestinians. And yet the Israeli authorities rush to investigate the deaths of foreigners  — but definitely not of Palestinians. That double standard around death reveals a profound disregard for Palestinian lives, a contempt rooted in a hateful racism that the world has long condemned. For us, Palestinian lives also matter. Yet today one group seems to be monopolizing human rights principles at the expense of another. Today we urgently need decisions backed by robust follow-up and accountability mechanisms. That is why my country reaffirms its belief that those who reject peace, who do not believe in peace, must have peace imposed upon them. The Council has a legal and moral responsibility to act, and we cannot afford to remain passive spectators. The Council possesses the tools and the authority needed to respond, but only if there is the political will to rise to the challenge. If we fail in that duty, the Council risks becoming a mere platform for speeches rather than the guardian of international peace and security that it was created to be. It is time to move beyond narrow calculations and take the necessary step to make the necessary binding decisions that will restore peace and security in our region.

I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland and Ms. Clark for their briefings. Yesterday the General Assembly at its tenth emergency special session overwhelmingly adopted resolution ES-10/24, submitted by the State of Palestine, demanding the implementation of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. At this critical juncture, when the world is grappling with the prolonged Gaza conflict and the complex and intractable situation in the Middle East, the Assembly’s adoption of the resolution is a historic landmark. The resolution demands that Israel end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. Independent statehood is an inalienable national right of the Palestinian people, but the prolonged illegal occupation has prevented the Palestinian people from realizing their national self-determination and given Israel an exclusive veto of Palestinian statehood. The occupation will not make Israel more secure. It will only breed more hatred and antagonism and perpetuate a vicious cycle of violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis. Only ending the occupation and establishing an independent State of Palestine will lead to peaceful coexistence for Palestine and Israel and lasting peace and security in the Middle East. The resolution urges all parties to stop arming Israel so that it can maintain its occupation. Military means are not a solution to the problem, and tit-for-tat violence will only exacerbate hatred. The conflict has cost the lives of many Palestinian and Israeli civilians over several decades, and the bloodshed and carnage continue today. Tackling the question of Palestine needs political will and diplomatic efforts, not an endless stream of arms, ammunition and violent conflict. All peace-loving nations should respond to the calls made in the resolution and work for that end. The resolution reaffirms that the international rule of law must be upheld. International law is a cornerstone of the international order and a body of international norms that must be respected by all parties. There can be no exceptions to the fulfilment of obligations under international law, before which all States are equal. Any double standards or selective applications are unacceptable. As a member of the international community and a United Nations Member State, Israel must fulfil its legal obligations, implement the relevant Security Council resolutions and comply with international law, particularly international humanitarian law. The resolution calls for accelerating the implementation of a two-State solution. Over the past decades we have seen Israel continually expanding its settlements in the West Bank, encroaching on Palestinian territory and squeezing the space and viability of Palestine as a State. Its actions continue to erode the foundations for a two-State solution and increasingly reveal its rejection of and resistance to such a solution. The international community must act with the utmost urgency to revitalize the prospects for a two-State solution. China supports the proposal in the General Assembly resolution for holding an international peace conference under the Assembly’s auspices to discuss the implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions and of a two-State solution. The resolution adopted by the Assembly yesterday embodies the broad consensus in the international community on promoting a settlement of the Palestinian question. It testifies to the international community’s resolve to uphold justice and realize peace in the Middle East. The Security Council should heed the calls of the international community and respond effectively to those concerns. Regrettably, owing to one individual country’s negative attitude, the Security Council has long been unable to take strong action to resolve the Palestinian question, let alone stop the conflict in Gaza, which is now almost a year old. More than three months ago, when pushing for the adoption of resolution 2735 (2024), the United States claimed that Israel had accepted a ceasefire deal, but the facts seem to indicate otherwise. Instead, for more than three months we have all witnessed the constantly intensifying Israeli military operations, the stipulation of growing numbers of conditions for negotiations and the escalating provocations. Not one moment should be wasted in the quest for a lasting ceasefire and the easing of the humanitarian catastrophe, but the United States has instead repeatedly asked for more time and patience for diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, civilians in Gaza are paying for that time and patience with their lives and suffering. How is it that the time and patience that the United States needs are so costly? The spillover effect of the continued fighting in Gaza is being manifested increasingly rapidly. Lebanon and Israel are on the verge of all-out conflict, imperilling the peace and stability of the entire Middle East. China urges Israel to abandon its obsession with the use of force and its illusion of achieving a complete military victory, and to immediately end its military operations in Gaza, cease its infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security and stop the risk-taking that may well plunge the region into another conflagration. We support the Security Council in using all available options in its toolbox to promote the implementation of the relevant resolutions and in taking further action to put a speedy end to the conflict, mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe and achieve peace in the Middle East as soon as possible.

I would like to begin by thanking Special Coordinator Wennesland for his briefing and Ms. Helen Clark for her important statement. Today we are discussing the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), which states unequivocally that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory constitute a flagrant violation of international law and are a major obstacle to a two-State solution. In its advisory opinion of 19 July, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed that settlements are unlawful under international law and must come to an immediate halt. The Court further emphasized Israel’s obligation to end its occupation, halt all settlement activity and evacuate the existing settlers. Yesterday the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favour of a resolution (resolution ES-10/24) on modalities that would ensure that the advisory opinion is fully respected and implemented. Malta voted in favour of that historic resolution and calls on Israel to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible. Meanwhile, the conditions in Gaza remain intolerable, and the security and humanitarian situations in the occupied West Bank continue to deteriorate rapidly and steadily. Nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October 2023. The Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities now regularly feature military operations, including air strikes, the destruction of infrastructure and the unlawful use of force. The most recent operation targeting militants in refugee camps left 36 Palestinians dead, including eight children. Malta once again condemns any acts that target or endanger civilians. Palestinians are also forced to contend with mass arbitrary detainment, and there are reports of other types of mistreatment and disturbing incidents of sexual violence. The incessant attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers have resulted in several deaths and injuries, property damage and forced displacement. Amid the traumatizing violent raids, insecurity and terrible conditions, mothers and children have extremely limited access to maternal and reproductive health care and are facing unthinkable mental challenges. We strongly emphasize the importance of ensuring that the distribution of aid takes the specific needs of women and girls into consideration. At the same time, while such mitigation efforts are important, they do not address the root causes of the insecurity. We stress that as the occupying Power, Israel must abide by its obligations under international law and protect the Palestinian population from all acts or threats of violence. The restoration of a political horizon must remain central to our efforts. It must start with an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the safe return of hostages to Israel and adequate humanitarian relief for the Gazan population, in line with resolution 2735 (2024). That must be accompanied by de-escalatory efforts in the wider region, including along the Blue Line, which can be achieved only through diplomatic progress. Another integral element is providing the fiscal and political support to the Palestinian Authority that can enable it to govern the West Bank and Gaza effectively, while ensuring its active participation in discussions on Gaza’s recovery. In conclusion, the international community must unite behind an irreversible realization of a two-State solution, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters, which can put an end to the occupation and ensure that Palestinians’ aspirations for statehood and Israel’s need for security are equally fulfilled. That is the only way to bring a lasting end to the unprecedented suffering in the region.

We thank Mr. Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, for his comprehensive briefing on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the river Jordan. We also thank Ms. Helen Clark for her briefing. Yesterday the General Assembly adopted a genuinely historic resolution (resolution ES-10/24) reaffirming the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which addresses unequivocally the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and the importance of bringing it to an end. It is encouraging that an overwhelming majority of Security Council members support that initiative, which aims to bring about a fair and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and realize the right of Palestinians to establish their own independent State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The result shows clearly that a solution to this question is long overdue. At the same time, thanks to the efforts of our Western colleagues, the Council’s discussions on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory have been rather mundane and routine for the past months. That is despite the fact that dozens, if not hundreds, of Palestinian civilians are slain every day. In nearly a year of Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip, more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, almost 100,000 have been wounded, and tens of thousands have gone missing. However, Palestinians are dying not just in Gaza. An equally catastrophic crisis is unfolding in the West Bank, to which the Council has objectively paid less attention thus far. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 5,000 have been wounded. During the Israel Defense Forces’ recent Operation Summer Camps alone, 39 Palestinians, including eight children, were killed, and civilian infrastructure was severely damaged by drones, artillery and missiles, resulting in the destruction of administrative buildings, roads, water and electricity systems. Before our very eyes, the Israeli leadership, taking advantage of the Council’s paralysis due to the actions of the United States of America, is achieving its objective of expelling the West Bank’s Palestinian population. Israel’s settlement activity has been ramped up at a record rate, with the de facto colonization of occupied Palestinian land and the establishment of more and more new settler outposts. In parallel, Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and Area C continue to be demolished. Law enforcement is utterly indifferent to the violence committed by radicalized settlers against the local civilian population. Nevertheless, none of our western colleagues have voiced any concerns about the erasure of Palestinian identity, even though we are not even talking about that any longer, but rather about the literal erasure of the Palestinian people, who are being wiped off the face of the Earth. Israel is not limiting itself to rendering Gaza uninhabitable. West Jerusalem is deliberately adopting measures to make the lives of Palestinians unbearable in the West Bank as well. As Israel continues to withhold Ramallah’s tax revenues, the unemployment rate in the West Bank has reached 40 per cent. Owing to the lack of roads and the proliferation of Israeli checkpoints, the staff of agencies and institutions located in neighbouring towns cannot get to work. Agricultural facilities are being raided by extremist settlers. As a result of Israeli attacks, 69 schools and five universities have been damaged, depriving children and youth of access to education. All of that attests to West Jerusalem’s persistent policy of resolving the Palestinian question by creating irreversible facts on the ground and using brute force and financial pressure. The Israeli authorities have nothing to fear, for the boundless support from Washington allows Israel to elude responsibility for any crimes. The rapidly deteriorating situation in the West Bank requires a response from the Security Council, just as the appalling situation in Gaza does. Palestinian civilians are being killed and displaced in the West Bank too. We are all fully aware that what is happening is the targeted and deliberate policy of the Israeli authorities. There can be no justification for the collective punishment of all Palestinians. However, the Council remains inactive. Unfortunately, its practical efforts on the Middle East track have continuously been blocked by the United States of America, which pushed through the completely unviable resolution 2735 (2024). And the United States has since continued to block any attempts to give a fair assessment of Israel’s actions, even in the context of the inadmissibility of imperilling the lives and health of United Nations and humanitarian personnel in Gaza. Let us recall that since 7 October 2023, the United States has cast five vetoes to shield its ally and to block the Council from adopting an unequivocal demand for a ceasefire. The only thing that the Americans expect from the Security Council is to exert pressure on Hamas and not to interfere with Israel’s actions “on the ground”. And that is despite the fact that the vaunted “deal” has repeatedly been blocked by none other than Israel, for whose benefit the United States has essentially been violating resolution 2735 (2024), which did set out the parameters for that agreement, even though that was diluted. Given the growing demand from the entire international community for a modicum of concrete measures to alleviate and improve the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Council members simply must summon the political will and courage and adopt a decision on a ceasefire in Gaza and measures to enforce compliance therewith. It is not so much Hamas that needs to be pressured, but rather our American colleagues, who continue to regard both the Council and multilateral diplomacy as a whole as an unnecessary burden. Their hard-headed policy of rejecting the authority of the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole has not only failed to generate any progress towards resolving the current conflict, but it has also caused the conflict to continue for nearly a year, with the risk of metastasizing into a full-blown regional conflict. The ongoing shelling along the Blue Line with Lebanon, the arbitrary air strikes on Syria and the targeted attacks in both countries continue unabated. In that context, we strongly condemn the unprecedented cyberattack against the friendly country of Lebanon and its citizens, which constitutes a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a grave threat and challenge to international law. We view what has transpired as yet another act of hybrid warfare against Lebanon, which has caused the suffering of thousands of entirely innocent people. Against the backdrop of growing tensions in the Lebanese-Israeli border areas, such reckless actions are fraught with highly dangerous consequences, leading to further destabilization of the military and political situation in the Middle East region. The current developments and escalation in the south of Lebanon and the Israeli air strikes clearly demonstrate the dangerous threshold that the Israeli-Arab conflict has reached. From the very beginning of the current crisis, Russia has consistently advocated a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, sustained and secure humanitarian access, the release of all hostages and forcibly detained persons and the relaunching of the peace process with a view to a two-State solution, which would result in the establishment of a Palestinian State coexisting in peace and security with Israel, in accordance with the endorsed international legal decisions. We stand ready to support any constructive initiative in the Council aimed at attaining those objectives. We would like to hope that the need for decisive collective measures to halt Israeli operations will also become clear to our American colleagues. For now, it is Palestinian women and children who are paying with their lives for our colleagues’ hard-headedness and imperialistic ambitions.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Observer State of Palestine.

Palestine welcomes the Foreign Minister of Slovenia presiding over this meeting of the Security Council, and we thank her for her statement as well. Allow me at the outset to thank the briefers for their presentations. We thank the honourable Ms. Helen Clark for her significant contribution to our deliberations and, through her, express our deepest gratitude to The Elders for their moral leadership in this time of unprecedented crisis. The situation in occupied Palestine is beyond grave and, although televised across the world, the suffering of the Palestinian people under Israel’s illegal occupation remains truly untold. There are no words left to describe Gaza’s agony, yet the reality is that what Gaza needs is not more words, but actions. Israel speaks in bombs and bullets, in displacement and destruction, in starvation and trauma. It claims for itself all the rights afforded by international law and the Charter of the United Nations, while rejecting and breaching all the obligations. It has a unique understanding of international law that somehow makes the crimes of genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing legal when perpetrated by Israel. The Council’s role is to uphold international law, not to bend the law to fit Israel’s breaches or sacrifice the Charter to accommodate Israel. That is the action needed to uphold international law and implement the resolutions of the United Nations — including resolution 2334 (2016), which we are debating and discussing and the implementation of which we are reporting on — and not merely more words decrying the abhorrent situation. The International Court of Justice  — our highest judicial organ  — made clear and unequivocal determinations. Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must be brought to an end as rapidly as possible. The Court shouldered its responsibility, made the ruling and issued a historic advisory opinion. That advisory opinion reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s settlements and the associated regime, which encompasses the wall across the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and stressed the occupying Power’s obligations to cease all settlement activities immediately and to evacuate its settlers from our territory. The Court clearly recognized the settlements as one of the main drivers of the illegal occupation and recalled the Council’s numerous relevant resolutions  — including resolution 2334 (2016), with its demand for a cessation of all Israeli settlement activities  — and the need to respect and implement those resolutions forthwith. The Court reminded Israel, all States and the United Nations of their respective obligations under international law. Yesterday, by an overwhelming majority, the General Assembly voted to endorse the Court’s determinations and to spell out the actions and set up the mechanisms that are needed to ensure compliance with them. The General Assembly adopted that resolution, the first ever presented by the State of Palestine under the Uniting for Peace formula (resolution ES-10/24), in a meeting of its emergency special session convened because of the Security Council’s failure to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and in order to bring the illegal 57- year occupation to an end. The Court therefore acted and issued an opinion  — a historic one. The General Assembly acted on the basis of the Court’s request to adopt modalities for bringing the illegal occupation to an end as quickly as possible. Two important organs of the United Nations shouldered their responsibilities because there are no powers of veto in those two institutions. Will the Security Council follow suit and act in accordance with the mandate vested in it by the Charter to maintain international peace and security? That is the big question before the Council. The historic resolution that the General Assembly adopted yesterday embodies the collective will to act, and we have every intention to follow up on every aspect of the resolution and to react to any failure to comply with it without delay. In accordance with the resolution and the advisory opinion, within three months the Secretary-General will submit a report on the parties’ compliance or non-compliance with their obligations under international law, including that of Israel, the occupying Power. We will then ask the Assembly to take the necessary steps. We will not relent until we see the illegal occupation end as quickly as possible — within 12 months, as the General Assembly has stated. What the Court determined is wholly and directly relevant to the duties of the Council. Among other things, it states that “[t]he sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying Power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the occupied Palestinian territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.” (Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, para. 261) If we needed to identify two cardinal rules — two pillars on which the international law-based order is built, two principles whose observance is critical for international peace and security  — they would be the right of peoples to self-determination and the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force. Those are the rules that Israel has been breaching openly and brazenly for decades, without consequences. The International Court of Justice and the General Assembly were able to rise to the historic and tragic challenge before us. When will the Security Council, the body entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, step up, live up to its mandate and defend those cardinal principles to ensure the survival of the international law-based order? It has been eight years since the Council adopted resolution 2334 (2016). Since then, Israel has ignored and violated it, just as it has ignored every other resolution, persisting in its breaches of the Charter of the United Nations, the most fundamental rules of international law and the determinations of the Council. Should the Security Council give in and surrender to Israel’s colonial will or should it deploy the necessary means to ensure respect for its resolutions and international law? I want to say it again, as I have so many times before. The Council has the tools, the power and the mandate to enforce its resolutions and international law. Will it act on that, or will it continue to drag its feet and appease one country or another? Let me say it again. Palestinians want to live, not merely survive. They want to be safe in their homes. They want their children to go to school without fear. Palestinians want to be free in reality, as they are in spirit. Free to live, free to come and go, free to determine their own fate, subject to God alone. They want to be Palestinians, to be themselves  — just to be. Neither heroes nor victims  — just human beings with the simplest of dreams or the greatest of aspirations, living in dignity, peace and security in their own homeland. The Palestinian people are an extraordinary people whose true desire is to lead an ordinary life. They will settle for nothing less. Anybody expecting them to accept their servitude, to live with their chains, is truly misguided. Freedom is their birthright. Freedom is their destiny.

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

The world is experiencing a period of extraordinary instability. Yet here we are, trapped in endless debates that miss the true heart of the issue. We gather here time and time again, like surgeons debating how to stitch a wound while the patient bleeds out before us. The longer this body remains blind to the reality, the greater the cost the world will pay. Israel is not just fighting for itself; we are the front line in a battle that threatens the entire region and the world. We are standing firm, facing down the forces of the most oppressive regime in the world, the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is only one regime that openly, proudly and consistently calls for the destruction of entire nations: the Islamic regime of Iran. I look at all the members. They are accustomed to debating conflicts across the world. And in every conflict, they identify its cause, whether it be a dispute over territory or a dispute over resources or history between nations. Have they asked themselves what the conflict is that the Iranian regime has with Israel? Why? There is no territorial dispute, as we are separated by over 1,000 miles between Iran and Israel. There are no shared resources, no violent history between us. The only reason is their fanatical ideology and festering hatred against the existence of our religion and State. Iran’s grand ambition is the creation of a Shiite supremacist empire that stretches across the entire Middle East and beyond. They seek dominance, not diplomacy. They seek to impose their dark vision on the region, reshape the Middle East in their own image and then extend their influence far beyond our borders. The Council and the world must wake up to the reality of the threat Iran poses. The dark force driving the violence we see today is not a collection of independent groups; it is Iran pulling the strings. The Iran proxies, Hizbullah in the north, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria and terrorists cells in Judea and Samaria, are all Iran’s attack dogs, unleashed to spread death and destruction across the region. Those proxies are the claws of a beast that is not content with attacking Israel alone but is clawing a path towards the domination of the Middle East. While Iran pulls the strings, the Palestinian Authority (PA) stands by utterly weak and impotent. When they are not turning a blind eye due to their weakness, they are actively collaborating with those very terror networks. As I have reminded in the Council many times, it has now been 348 days since the massacre of 7 October 2023. And yet the Palestinian Authority, including Mr. Riyad Mansour, still refuses to condemn Hamas. We met here in the Chamber on Monday (see S/PV.9725). I listened to members’ words. Not one condemnation. We met in the General Assembly on Tuesday. Nothing. On Wednesday in the General Assembly, no one from the PA mentioned Hamas. Here we are meeting again today; tomorrow we will meet again at 3 p.m. Zero. Nothing. We want to hear that, to see a distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. And yet neither Mr. Mansour nor President Abbas is capable of saying that. With leaders such as them, is it any wonder that terrorism continues to worsen in Judea and Samaria? The PA’s failure to confront these threats head-on has only emboldened those who seek to spread terror in our region. With the Palestinian Authority failing to act and Iran’s proxies continuing their relentless campaign, the threat to Israel’s security grows more urgent by the day. On our northern border, Hizbullah, armed and funded by Iran, continues to launch rockets, drones and missiles into Israel, with thousands of missiles poised to target our major civilian centres. In Gaza, Hamas weaponized an entire territory, building the world’s most extensive network of terror infrastructure. Now Iran is attempting to replicate that strategy in Judea and Samaria. Consider what has been uncovered in recent months. Iran is flooding Judea and Samaria with explosives, grenades, anti-tank mines and advanced weaponry, while recruiting terrorists to execute attacks against Israeli civilians. Iran’s goal is to turn Judea and Samaria into another Gaza, a hotbed of terror that threatens to overflow into neighbouring countries. The Iranian weapons that are now flooding Judea and Samaria are not improvised weapons; they are sophisticated munitions manufactured by Iran and deployed in Judea and Samaria for the sole purpose of murder. Earlier this year, Israeli forces exposed one of Iran’s key operatives  — his name is Munir Makdah — who had been actively recruiting terrorists in Judea and Samaria. Makdah had been orchestrating the smuggling of advanced Iranian weaponry, including anti-tank missiles and explosives, to carry out massive attacks on Israeli civilians. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our security and defence forces, an enormous stockpile of those weapons was seized, preventing another potential wave of terror. Enough weapons were recovered to equip a small army, an army funded and armed by Iran. Iran has transformed our region into its railway of terror. They are taking advantage of their grip, as members all know, over Syria and Lebanon to deliver its advanced weapons to terrorists in Judea and Samaria. Iran’s murderous Orient Express is operating right under the world’s nose. As a result of those murderous efforts — and we have heard the reports —our security forces have been forced to engage intensely. And it is true: we are engaging. Otherwise, our civilians would become the victims of Iran’s terrorist mercenaries. These preventative measures in Judea and Samaria are not just an option; they are a necessity. While we have stopped many Iranian attempts to smuggle weaponry, we cannot stop them all. Just two weeks ago, Tel Aviv narrowly escaped a tragedy. A terrorist armed with a backpack full of explosives intended to enter a synagogue and murder the worshippers inside. But fate intervened, thank God, and the suicide bomber exploded outside the synagogue before carrying out his plot. By nothing short of a miracle, countless innocent lives were spared. That was not an isolated moment, but a reminder of the dark web of terror Iran and its proxies continue to weave in Judea and Samaria. In the past two months alone, two car bombs were discovered and defused in Gush Etzion. A third one was planted along the path of a school bus filled with young children. Those were not distant threats or theories. They were immediate and deadly and were stopped just moments before disaster. And then came the rockets fired from the heart of Jenin, which is a major city in northern Samaria, and exploding in a city nearby, Afula, among civilians. Therefore, rockets can fly not only from Gaza into Israel, but also from Judea and Samaria. That is a chilling demonstration of the terror that Iran and its proxies are determined to bring into our cities and into our very homes. That is why Israel must take preventative steps. We do not wait for disaster to strike before we act. Let me ask members: what would their security forces do if they had intelligence about terrorists planning a massive attack on their civilian population? I ask that they think about their capital cities. Would there be any doubt about what to do? Well, we have no such doubts. And neither does anyone here. When a terrorist threat to the Taylor Swift concert in Austria was intercepted, the authorities cancelled the show immediately, tracked down who was responsible and arrested them. Afterwards, we were all relieved that a disaster was averted. But when Israel takes the very same reasonable steps, gathers intelligence and neutralizes the threat to prevent terror attacks against our civilians, what happens? We are condemned. Members have heard facts such as these before, but they bear repeating because the Council remains paralyzed by indecision. We are not dealing with isolated acts of terror. We are dealing with an orchestrated campaign of destruction directed by the ayatollahs in Tehran. And while this body debates restraint and diplomacy, Iran’s network grows stronger. The time for half measures, blind eyes and empty statements is over. What is required now is not talk about the symptoms, but action against the disease itself, which is the Iranian regime. Hizbullah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards must be designated as terrorist organizations worldwide. Sanctions against Iran must be intensified until its capacity to support terror is completely diminished. While we prevent their murderous aims before they take place, we expect the Council to stop them at the root. Israel will defend itself with all the force necessary to protect our people. We will dismantle every terrorist network, uproot every Iranian proxy and strike down those who seek to harm us. The international community must stand with us, not just for Israel but for the very future of the Middle East. The stakes could not be higher. The time for inaction has passed.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.