S/PV.9972 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Argentina and Israel to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency Mr. Gideon Saar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel. 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. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations; and Mr. Ilay David. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Jenča. Mr. Jenča: The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel continues to deteriorate, with Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including the remaining hostages in Gaza, continuing to suffer immensely as a result. In the past week, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad released images and videos of two hostages — Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski — looking visibly emaciated, as they described the appalling conditions of their captivity. The scenes of Evyatar apparently being forced to dig his own grave are appalling. These images and their own accounts of their treatment have horrified us all. They are an affront to humanity itself. I would like to acknowledge the presence of Ilay David, the brother of Evyatar David, whom we will hear from shortly. I would like to let Mr. David know that we at the United Nations recognize the profound pain and hardship endured by the families and loved ones of those who remain in captivity. Nearly two years have passed, with the immeasurable suffering and fear intensifying with every passing day. I am especially mindful that, this week, the Jewish community commemorated Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning and remembrance of historical tragedies endured by the Jewish people — a time that echoes with the pain of loss across generations. I pay tribute to Mr. David’s courage and determination, and I share his dearest wish: for his brother, and all hostages held in Gaza, to be immediately and unconditionally released. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continue to hold 50 hostages, 28 of whom are thought to be deceased, in captivity in horrific conditions. Released hostages have relayed distressing accounts of deprivation, ill-treatment and abuse. Since 7 October 2023, Hamas and other armed groups have circulated dozens of videos of hostages, including statements made by hostages under duress and clearly suffering, including the most recent footage of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. International law is clear: hostage-taking is prohibited. It is a war crime. Those deprived of liberty must be treated humanely and with dignity, and allowed to receive visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross. They must never The situation in Gaza is horrifying. It is unbearable. Palestinians are subjected to squalid, inhumane conditions on a daily basis. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Since the end of May, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 8,100 injured while trying to access food supplies, including in the vicinity of militarized aid distribution sites. The deaths and injuries continue to mount, day by day, with no end in sight to the suffering. Israel continues to severely restrict humanitarian assistance entering Gaza, and the aid that is permitted to enter is grossly inadequate. Hunger is everywhere in Gaza, visible in the faces of children and in the desperation of parents risking their lives to access the most basic supplies. I would like to echo the Secretary-General’s condemnation of the ongoing violence in Gaza, including the shooting, killing and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families. International law is clear: civilians must be respected, protected and never targeted or deliberately deprived of food or access to other life-saving aid. Doing so is a war crime. Israel must immediately allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of sufficient amounts of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, to avert further suffering and loss of life. The latest reports regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s possible decision to expand Israel’s military operations across the entire Gaza Strip, if true, are deeply alarming. This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza. International law is clear in this regard: Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian State. As declared by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, the State of Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory and bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory — Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem — as rapidly as possible. The United Nations has been clear: there is only one path to ending the ongoing violence and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza  — a full and permanent ceasefire, with the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Life-saving humanitarian aid must flow into Gaza at scale and without obstruction, and civilians must be guaranteed safe, unhindered access to assistance. There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli- Palestinian conflict. We must establish political and security frameworks that can relieve the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, start early recovery and reconstruction, address the legitimate security concerns of Israelis and Palestinians, secure an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation and achieve a sustainable two-State solution — Israel and a fully independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

I thank Mr. Jenča for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. David. Evyatar is the kindest person I know. I learned from him how to be a better son. He is shy but full of life. He has the soul of a musician. He has played the guitar since he was 10, and we played together every week. I miss his smile, I miss his hug, and I just want to see him hug my parents. Evyatar was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival at the age of 22. He went there to celebrate life, to dance, to enjoy the music he loves. Music is a very big part of who he is. Since that day, my brother and the other hostages have endured an unimaginable nightmare. This is not just a figure of speech: their lives are truly hanging by a thread. We now know from medical reports and other indications that Evyatar, Guy and the others are on the brink of death. They may have only days left to live — days. That is how urgent this is. They have each lost nearly half their body weight. My little brother now weighs only around 40 kilograms — that is just around 90 pounds. Let me show the Council this picture of me and my siblings. This is me right here, this is my younger sister, and this is Evyatar. Look at his smile. The world has heard about the atrocities of Hamas on 7 October 2023 and in the 22 months since, but what is happening to Evyatar and Guy is an act of calculated and depraved cruelty that defies human comprehension. We have heard the testimonies from those who were released from Hamas tunnels, and every account makes our fears worse. When your brother, your son, your father or your partner is being held in Gaza, there is never good news. The only thing you can hold on to is the possibility that they might still be alive, but even that hope is fading, because the truth is that we do not know how much time they have left. Five months ago, on 22 February, we received what we thought was the cruellest possible emotional torment for Evyatar. After 500 days in captivity, Hamas broadcast images of Evyatar and Guy. They were brought out of the tunnels. Hamas forced to watch their fellow captives being released. Then Evyatar and Guy were sent back into the dark tunnels. Here one can clearly see Guy, and this is Evyatar. We thought then that we had reached the pinnacle of evil, but just this past weekend we received a new video from hell. We were reminded just how much more cruel and more inhumane Hamas and its sick partners are. My brother was a living skeleton. He barely had the strength to move or speak. His voice was barely recognizable. In that video, my little brother was forced to speak to the world and then actively began to dig his own grave inside a filthy, dark tunnel in Gaza. My mother and I could not even bring ourselves to watch it. We knew that if we did, we would be unable to function. My father and sister, however, felt they had to see him, to hear his voice, to feel him somehow. Now those images haunt them. My father cannot sleep, and my mother has not stopped crying ever since. What would you do if, God forbid, it was your son, brother, partner or father? We are here because we and the other hostage families cannot wait any longer. We need to reunite with them, to hug them and to feel them close. There are still fathers whose children are waiting for their return. We are all waiting for everyone’s return. For us, the mission is very clear and urgent: we must save Evyatar’s life and the life of his friend Guy. We must ensure that all hostages are released immediately and unconditionally. We do not have more time. They do not have more time. Every minute counts. The last video also exposed another horrifying truth. As my younger brother, a living skeleton, was forced to speak and dig his future grave, one could see the This is the humanitarian crisis, that of the hostages, that is being discussed here, but not here in the Security Council or in other United Nations forums: the very soul of humanity being scarred by Hamas’ barbaric actions. We, the family of Evyatar, refuse to give up hope. We are weeping and suffering, but we are also fighting with every fibre of our being. We will not give up until we see him back home, and until my mother and father can hug him again. I am here to make a direct and urgent call to this body. First, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal and all the other hostages, living and deceased. We must not only demand but use every leverage we can to do so. The time for deliberation has run out. Their lives depend on immediate action. Evyatar, Guy and at least 18 other hostages are still alive. After 660 days, they have somehow managed to survive. We call on the Council to rescue them from Hamas dungeons underground. Secondly, we must call for humanitarian aid to reach the hostages. While aid flows into Gaza to help the population, the hostages are being denied even the most basic necessities of life. They have not received a shred of humanitarian aid since they were captured. This is a flagrant violation of international law. Thirdly, we must recognize that this is a matter of life and death, requiring urgent medical intervention. Evyatar and Guy need immediate access to proper food and life-saving medical care. Every moment of delay is a step closer to a final tragic outcome. We all have a responsibility. To the leaders of the world, to every member of this Council and to the global community: your silence in the face of this monstrous cruelty is complicity. I urge you: do not let them die. We do not have time. Do not let them spend another minute in darkness, suffering beyond imagination. While we do our part, demanding that the Israeli Government do everything to save the hostages, all leaders should unite to pressure Hamas and its partners. Act now, before it is too late. Save Evyatar David. Bring my little brother home.

I thank Mr. David for his statement. I will now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements.

I want to thank Mr. David for his powerful and courageous testimony today. On behalf of Denmark, I wish to convey our deepest sympathies. What Mr. David and his family continue to endure is unimaginable. His presence here not only honours his loved one but also sheds light on the profound human toll of this conflict. I would also like to extend my appreciation to Assistant Secretary- General Jenča for his briefing. I welcome His Excellency Mr. Saar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, and the Permanent Representative of the observer State of Palestine to this meeting. Denmark firmly condemns the heinous terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, perpetrated by Hamas. Those attacks resulted in the deliberate targeting of civilians, the killing of more than 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 200 individuals, including women and children. Israel has every right to respond to such a brutal and barbaric attack. However, Israel’s response must be exercised in compliance with international law and with full respect for international humanitarian law. This includes the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, which are fundamental to protecting civilian lives. The fight against terrorism cannot come at the expense of the rules that safeguard our shared humanity. Denmark reiterates that any attempt by Israel to annex Palestinian land would be unacceptable and violate international law. What we are witnessing in Gaza is a catastrophic humanitarian situation that is unparalleled in its deprivation of basic human needs and attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian personnel. As we have heard from Assistant Secretary-General Jenča, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 140,000 injured. The recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns that the worst-case scenario is unfolding as we speak. Access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels, and Gaza is on the brink of a full-scale famine. Civilians are starving owing not to a lack of food but to decisions taken by Israel. We cannot continue to let this happen. International law is clear: humanitarian aid must never be used as a bargaining chip or a political tool. Israel must immediately lift all restrictions to allow for safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law. The suffering must end. We call for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, through an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid and the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages. A permanent ceasefire will lay the foundations to help to unravel this nightmare unfolding before our eyes and for recovery, for the protection of civilians trapped in this conflict, for the two-State solution to once again take centre stage and for the prospects of peace. These were also the messages that we heard during the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution last week, where Denmark joined the vast majority of Member States in voicing our steadfast support for a two-State solution. There is no better path to ending the conflict than two States, side by side, providing a just and lasting peace for all — Israelis and Palestinians alike. For that to happen, the violence in Gaza must stop now.

I thank Assistant Secretary- General Miroslav Jenča for his briefing, and I welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, Mr. Saar, and the representatives of Palestine and Argentina at today’s meeting. I also thank Mr. Ilay David for his statement and express my deep sympathy for what his loved ones have endured. The conflict in Gaza has lasted for nearly two years, causing unprecedented death and destruction and inflicting unimaginable suffering on both Palestinian and Israeli civilians. The ceasefire agreement reached in January, if fully implemented, could have led to a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and the release and return of all hostages. It is regrettable that the ceasefire was broken, the hostages remain in captivity, and the suffering continues. We call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Israel’s military operations have claimed the lives of more than 60,000 Gazans, and more innocent lives are being lost every day. The grim reality has shown that military means are not the solution. An immediate ceasefire is the right way to save lives and bring hostages home. According to recent media reports, Israel has decided to escalate its military offensive and occupy Gaza in its entirety. We express grave concern in this regard. We urge Israel to immediately halt such dangerous moves, urge all parties to immediately reach a binding and sustainable ceasefire agreement, and urge countries with significant influence over the parties concerned to uphold a just and responsible stance and take concrete action to promote a ceasefire. We call for alleviating the humanitarian disaster. The 2 million innocent civilians in Gaza should not be victims of war, let alone endure the agony of man-made disasters any longer. Amid the current extreme blockade and siege, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues to worsen, with severe famine looming. Restricting the entry of supplies will only intensify the collective punishment of Gazans and make it harder for surviving hostages to receive essential supplies. Israel must comply with international law, in particular international humanitarian law, fully restore access for humanitarian supplies and support the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies in delivering aid. We call for reinvigorating the two-State solution. The recurring cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict over the decades has cast a shadow over generations on both sides. The full implementation of the two-State solution and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine are the only right way to resolve the Palestinian question and prevent a recurrence of similar hostage-taking incidents. The High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held last week at the General Assembly, sent a strong signal for the implementation of the two-State solution. The international community should jointly oppose unilateral actions that undermine the foundation of that solution and step up efforts to advance the political process. China will continue to work with the international community to help to bring an end to the fighting in Gaza, alleviate the humanitarian disaster, advance the implementation of the two-State solution and ultimately achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, so that the peoples of both Palestine and Israel can enjoy peace and happiness together.

I thank the Assistant Secretary- General, Mr. Jenča, for his briefing, and Mr. Ilay David for his moving testimony. On behalf of France, I wish to assure him of our solidarity and support. I welcome the presence among us of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, Mr. Gideon Saar. I also welcome the presence of the observer of Palestine. Abject cruelty and boundless inhumanity — that is what Hamas embodies. The unbearable images shared over the past few days showing Israeli hostages held in Gaza, along with Mr. David’s testimony, are a horrific reminder of that. France denounces these despicable methods and condemns the cruel treatment inflicted on The immediate release of all hostages is an absolute priority for France. We will continue to work tirelessly to secure their unconditional release and the return of the remains of those hostages who have died in Gaza. We will continue to work to restore the ceasefire without delay and enable the large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid, which is still stuck outside Gaza. France reiterates the urgent need for Israel to open all crossing points and allow immediate, large-scale and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. Alarmed by the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, France, alongside several other countries, has airdropped non-perishable food supplies over Gaza. That is an emergency measure to save lives, but it cannot replace the need for massive land-based humanitarian access. These efforts must be accompanied by a political resolution based on the two- State solution  — the only realistic path to lasting peace. This solution requires the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian State with renewed governance. It also requires the total demilitarization of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip. Lastly, it requires Israel’s regional integration. France welcomes the historic gesture made by Arab countries last week in New York, during the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which we co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, by condemning Hamas’ crimes and expressing their aspiration to establish relations with the State of Israel. That is how we will break the cycle of violence and revive the prospect for peace in the Middle East. That is the only possible path to a future in which justice, security and dignity can be guaranteed for all peoples in the region.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing. I also appreciate Mr. David for sharing his voice with the Security Council and extend my heartfelt sympathy to him and his family. I also welcome the participation of His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel and the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine in this meeting. The world is horrified to see the tragedy unfolding in Gaza at this very moment. We are appalled by the fact that Hamas, which committed one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent history, still holds 50 hostages after almost two years in utterly inhumane conditions. We are also witnessing every day appalling videos and images in the media of the scores of emaciated Palestinian civilians who have not been spared from the escalating famine stalking life in Gaza. Reiterating our deepest concern about the deteriorating conditions for the hostages and civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, let me stress the following three points. First, the swift and unhindered delivery of all humanitarian aid should be ensured at scale, in full collaboration with the United Nations. Starvation must not be weaponized. We take note of the reports claiming Israel has begun tactical pauses for 10 hours a day in Al-Mawasi, Dayr al-Balah and Gaza City. This announcement is better than nothing but has not improved the hunger situation on the ground. The Republic of Korea calls on Israel to open all available crossings and ensure the safe and speedy delivery of, and access to, humanitarian aid. We call on Israel to uphold its commitments and expand the humanitarian pauses throughout the Gaza Strip. We Secondly, the war in Gaza must end now. We therefore reiterate our strong support for the efforts by the mediators, including the United States. We understand that a deal to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages is the only viable option for Israel to end the war. While reiterating our condemnation of the heinous acts of Hamas, the brutality of Hamas does not legitimize the extended and disproportionate suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Israel must also faithfully engage in the negotiations, carefully listening to the voices of the desperate families of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza, who are appealing for an immediate end to the war. We hope that the mediators will continue their efforts to reach a deal that will lead to a permanent end to the war and the release of all hostages. Thirdly, all parties must prioritize peaceful coexistence and mutual recognition in line with resolution 2334 (2016). This resolution was a cornerstone agreement by the Council, based on the urgent need to shift negative trends on the ground. All elements in the resolution must be fully respected. The Republic of Korea fully supports the two-State solution as the only viable path forward. We therefore urge Israel to join the international call to enhance peace, prosperity and dignity for all in Israel and Palestine.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing. We listened attentively to Mr. Ilay David as he shared his personal account concerning the fate of his brother, who remains in captivity in Gaza. His brother would never have stayed in captivity if the ceasefire in Gaza had not been abruptly breached by the Israeli occupying Power. Let us be clear: Algeria does not stand idle before the suffering of humankind. Wherever pain walks, our conscience walks with it. For us, the call of humanity is not a choice — it is a sacred duty. Every human being, regardless of gender, colour, creed or border, civilians and soldiers alike, including Mr. Evyatar David, deserves to be treated humanely and to live with dignity. We do not weigh lives on scales of interest. Our moral compass has no double standards. What we request for the Palestinian people, we request for all people. Algeria holds the right to food to be sacred. It is not a privilege — it is a right that is enshrined in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living, to food, to dignity and to life. We have long warned of the catastrophe in Gaza. We have repeatedly echoed the plights of a starving Palestinian people. We have joined the calls made by almost every voice on Earth, except a few. Today this meeting was called by the Israeli occupying Power, which blatantly denied the famine in Gaza — the same occupying Power that cut off food, water, electricity and medicine in Gaza and the same Power that, on 29 July, was condemned by United Nations experts. They said it plainly: “Israel’s acts in Gaza are barbaric” and Government officials may be committing “crimes under the Rome Statute”, including “extermination” by starvation. Those are not our words — they are the findings of international experts. What has very recently been allowed into Gaza as humanitarian relief is a drop in an ocean of need. Airdrops are not the solution. One cannot feed people from the sky while allowing the sealing of the land under them. The Israeli occupying Power must open all crossings, roads and lifelines. That is not a request. Let me be clear: humanitarian access is a legal obligation under the Geneva Conventions. It is not a favour. It is not negotiable. It cannot be used as a bargaining chip in exchange for those held in captivity. More than 61,000 Palestinians have already been killed. Since March, more than 1,500 have been killed while seeking food. More than 150,000 have been injured. What we are witnessing is not erratic — it is methodical. Call it what it is, namely, genocide, as described by Israeli voices  — David Grossman, Guy Shalev and others — as seen by humanitarians on the ground and as felt by the whole world. And still, some deny it. No ignorance can excuse it. No silence can justify it. Future generations will ask: where were we when Gaza was starving — in the Security Council? Where were we when children died searching for food, for bread — in the Security Council? Where were we when an entire people was crushed in the name of security? History will record those who so often lectured us on the right to self- defence and that those who denied the crime were complicit and those who stayed silent were witnesses of shame. Injustice must never be normalized. It cannot become the new ordinary. That is why we call firmly and repeatedly for a ceasefire to save lives, hopes and dreams not yet dreamed. That is why we call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom): I would like to start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing. I also want to express my gratitude to Mr. Ilay David for his powerful advocacy in support of his brother and the hostages in Gaza. I want to reassure Mr. David, through the Israeli delegation, that the United Kingdom stands with his family and the families of all those who have suffered owing to Hamas’ inhuman and cruel actions, including British citizen Ditza Or, whose son Avinatan remains in captivity. The Security Council has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in all four of its resolutions since 7 October 2023, and I repeat that call today. As my Foreign Secretary has said, the images of Evyatar and other emaciated hostages paraded in front of cameras for propaganda are depraved. Hamas and its terrorist ideology can have no place in the future governance of Gaza and should never again threaten Israel’s security. The ceasefire at the beginning of this year was a rare moment of hope, which allowed hostages to be released and the United Nations to surge aid into Gaza. Since the ceasefire ended, the suffering of the hostages and Palestinian civilians has plumbed new and shocking depths. Israel’s aid restrictions have led to famine now unfolding in Gaza, as reported by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Last week, I spoke with doctors who had served in Gaza. They had seen children so malnourished that their wounds festered for months without healing. They had seen baby formula confiscated by the Israel Defense Forces at the border, depriving newborns of the basic essentials for life. I call on Israel now to act to alleviate this horrendous suffering. We must see restrictions on aid delivery lifted in line with the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and the United Nations must be able to operate safely and at scale. We also call for all land routes to As I said, the ceasefire earlier this year showed what can be achieved when there is political will, and last week’s two-State solution conference showed what can be achieved when the international community comes together. We urge the parties to reinvigorate their efforts to secure a ceasefire deal and an end to the conflict. As my Prime Minister set out last week, the United Kingdom is ready to play its full and historic part in achieving a plan that ends the bloodshed, brings the hostages home and lays the foundations for a Palestinian State. Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and is essential to the long-term security of Israel.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for his important briefing, and I also commend Mr. Ilay David for his courage in sharing his testimony today and for his relentless advocacy on behalf of the hostages since the abduction of his brother. To Mr. David, the families of all the hostages and all the victims of this conflict in Gaza, we extend our deepest sympathies and solidarity. We welcome the participation of His Excellency Mr. Gideon Saar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, the Permanent Observer State of Palestine and the representative of Argentina. We also acknowledge the letter from the Permanent Representative of Israel dated 2 August drawing the attention of the Security Council to the plight of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The Council bears a solemn duty to address all dimensions of this conflict in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to inflict immense suffering on civilians in both Israel and Gaza. Since the 7 October 2023 attack, hostages and civilians alike have endured grave humanitarian consequences. The abduction by Hamas and other armed groups of 250 hostages — men, women and children as young as 9 months and as old as 85 — constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law. Sierra Leone condemns this and all acts of violence against civilians, regardless of identity or location. Article 34 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits hostage-taking — a prohibition that has crystallized as part of customary international law. Hostage-taking is also codified as a war crime under article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. We remain gravely concerned that 50 individuals remain in captivity, with no information on their condition and no access for humanitarian assistance. Recent media videos have shown their appalling treatment. We strongly condemn all inhumane treatment of hostages and reiterate our unequivocal demand for their immediate and unconditional release, as mandated by resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024). Resolution 2735 (2024) also endorsed terms for the release of Palestinian detainees. We call for the release of the thousands of Palestinians detained in Israel without trial or adequate care, in violation of international law and their inherent rights and dignity. The International Committee of the Red Cross must be granted immediate access to all detainees to provide medical and humanitarian assistance. Allegations of mistreatment must be investigated and accountability ensured for all grave violations committed in this conflict, including those arising from the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories. One atrocity cannot justify another. While we express deep concern for the hostages, we cannot ignore the wider humanitarian catastrophe that has engulfed Gaza. International law prohibits the collective punishment of civilians. Article 33 The International Court of Justice, in its orders of 26 January and 28 March 2024 on provisional measures, determined that the Palestinian population in Gaza faces a real and imminent risk of irreparable harm. Acting under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Court ordered the State of Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide, including ensuring the provision of humanitarian assistance. These binding provisional measures must be fully implemented, and the Council shares responsibility for ensuring compliance. The man-made humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, resulting from policies of the Government of Israel, is unprecedented in scale and severity. The suffering of Israeli hostages is acute and must be addressed urgently. Likewise, this is occurring alongside the suffering of an entire civilian population, who are being subjected to famine and relentless bombardment. We urge the State of Israel to lift the blockade and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access. Likewise, we urge Hamas and other armed groups to cease attacks on civilians and release all hostages. Accountability for violations of international law is a shared obligation. States must ensure that their actions do not facilitate breaches of the law. United Nations special rapporteurs have warned about the responsibility of States vis-à-vis weapons supplies in the context of the conflict. It is worth recalling the words of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his 1953 “Chance for Peace” address. He said that the true burden on States with power lies not in militarization but in building peace and prosperity. This truth remains urgent today, as we confront this devastating conflict. Sierra Leone underscores that resolving the conflict and the Palestinian question requires a political pathway. The Arab Peace Initiative, recently reinforced through the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution (A/CONF.243/2025/1, annex) — a statement by the co-Chairs, France and Saudi Arabia — offers an important framework. It proposes the disarmament of Hamas, the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority and transitional arrangements with international support. The plan also calls for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and renewed negotiations towards realizing the two-State solution. These proposals deserve serious consideration by all parties and support from the Council. The intended recognition of the State of Palestine by several States, albeit conditional, is a step in the right direction. This conflict cannot be resolved through military means. Its root cause lies in the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territory. The International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinions, including the 2024 advisory opinion on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and resolutions 242 (1967) and 2334 (2016) have consistently affirmed the illegality of settlement activity and the inadvisability of acquiring territory by force. Yet, these legal obligations remain unimplemented, thereby perpetrating cycles of violence and impunity. For the sake of the victims on both sides, the time has come to translate declarations and resolutions into concrete action. The Council must work collectively to end the occupation and enable the establishment of a sovereign, In conclusion, we must reiterate that the suffering of one side cannot justify the suffering of the other. As Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “[a]ll human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” “Sisterhood” can be added to that. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in dignity, security and freedom. The veil of impunity must be lifted. It is now time for decisive action to end this conflict and to bring about a just and lasting peace.

We join colleagues in thanking Assistant Secretary- General Miroslav Jenča for his briefing. We also listened with deep empathy to Mr. David’s statement and sincerely hope for the safe and swift reunification of his family and that of all others still held in captivity. The taking of hostages is a clear violation of international law and totally unacceptable. Hostages must be released. This, among others, was a clear demand in the draft resolution of the Council presented by the 10 elected members (see S/2025/353), including Pakistan, in June. At the same time, let us be clear on the gravity of the overall situation on the ground. And it is not just us, here in the Security Council, or the wider membership in the General Assembly, who are watching and who are worried. The entire world is watching in disbelief. Civilians have suffered the brunt of Israel’s war on Gaza. Nothing can justify the indiscriminate killings, the starvation of an entire population, the collective punishment of a besieged people. Not only are these actions morally indefensible, but they also constitute grave breaches of international law, including the Geneva Conventions, and stand in flagrant violation of binding measures issued by the International Court of Justice. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to escalate on an unprecedented scale. According to United Nations human rights experts, Israel’s widespread and systemic abuse of Palestinians in detention and arbitrary arrest practices over decades, coupled with the absence of any restraints by the Israeli State since 7 October 2023, paint a shocking picture, enabled by absolute impunity. Approximately 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, are currently imprisoned, approximately one third without charge or trial. This is a profound violation of basic human rights, and, again, is totally unacceptable. Sixty thousand Gazans have been killed — 18,500 of them children. Palestinian children have been killed at a rate of more than one per hour since the war began. Although I could have said that, it is not my statement. It comes from the Washington Post, which has also published the names and ages of each of those 18,500 Palestinian children. The leading Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, has described the situation in Gaza as “likely the most extreme example of politically-driven starvation in the 21st century.” The consequences are therefore horrible. At least 175 Palestinians, including 93 children, have died of starvation. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned that Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine. People are not starving because food is unavailable. They are starving because access is denied. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has warned that the worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF has called it a perfect storm of suffering for children, while the United Nations Secretary-General has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. The World Food Programme put it starkly: “This is a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes, in front of our television screens.” This war on civilians must end. We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire; full Israeli withdrawal; the release of hostages; and unimpeded humanitarian access. The initial phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America led to the release of 33 hostages. Owing to Israel’s unilateral abandonment of the ceasefire, further releases could not take place. Therefore, the suffering continues, and it continues on both sides. We further call for the full implementation of resolution 2735 (2024), which presents a viable, actionable road map to end hostilities and deliver desperately needed aid. In the interests of peace, for that is the core responsibility of the Council, we must keep in mind the historical perspective of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We must not lose sight of the root cause of this ongoing tragedy, which is Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive. Lasting peace demands a credible political horizon  — one grounded in international law — leading to the realization of a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The recent High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution was a timely initiative. It must be followed up by concrete and coordinated international action to finally achieve the long-coveted peace and stability in the Middle East. Human rights are universal and indivisible. Human rights cannot be partitioned, and justice must never be selective. The imperative  — legal, political and moral — is crystal clear: we must act now to end Israel’s brutal and illegal war and the unconscionable suffering of the people. The humanity and dignity of people, civilians on both sides, demand nothing less.

We are grateful to Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for his detailed briefing on the situation in the Gaza Strip and that of the remaining hostages in the enclave. We acknowledge the presence of Israeli Foreign Minister Mr. Gideon Saar. We listened closely to Mr. Ilay David and carefully reviewed the letter from the Israeli side. We mourn all innocent victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, regardless of their citizenship or nationality. As everyone else present, we were shocked by the images, published earlier this month, of two Israeli hostages, Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David. Judging by the videos, they are frustrated, extremely emaciated and weak, owing to an acute lack of food and water, which, as we know, is something all inhabitants of Gaza face. Every day spent by the hostages in the Gaza Strip is a tragedy. It is a tragedy for them and for their families and loved ones, who spend every minute waiting for their return. We have also carefully reviewed the recent statements made by the relatives of Rom Braslavski, Evyatar David and other Israelis held in Gaza. We share their pain, but we can only note that these people, who are in an extremely poor emotional condition and worry about the fate of their children, are simultaneously voicing direct criticism of the country’s leadership, which, according to some of them, is dragging out the negotiation process with Hamas, thereby signing a death sentence for the remaining hostages. We sincerely believe that no delegation in this Chamber would dispute the simple fact that every human life is important and priceless. We should not have to choose whose pain is more worthy of attention. This applies equally to the Israelis in captivity and to the peaceful Palestinians who, for almost 670 days, have been suffering virtually daily bombardment at the hands of Israel. When the whole world was watching with horror the footage of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, we received equally horrific reports from Gaza of more than 180 people dying there on 1 and 2 August. We hear about such tragedies almost every day. In total, since October 2023, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, according to UNICEF. Against this backdrop, the overall situation in Gaza can only be described as a humanitarian disaster, one with repercussions not only for the Gazans but also for the Israeli hostages. Palestinians themselves are dying in the enclave not only as a result of air strikes and artillery shelling but also owing to widespread hunger and outbreaks of disease. According to the World Food Programme, one in three Palestinians spends periods of several days without eating. The terrible statistics of the casualties caused by the hostilities and food shortages are compounded by those killed and wounded as they line up for food rations at the distribution sites of the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The number of victims is in the thousands. Since 27 May, nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been killed. We are also seriously concerned about the consequences of air drops of food supplies, which resumed in late July. As recently as yesterday, humanitarian packages crushed to death two medical workers at the Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah. In recent comments, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Lazzarini warned against the continuation of this highly dangerous and costly means of delivering aid, which is 100 times more expensive than using land routes. Meanwhile, around the perimeter of the Gaza Strip, there are more than 6,000 trucks with food supplies sufficient to sustain the civilian population for several months. We were shocked by the Israel Defense Forces attack against the headquarters of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Khan Younis, resulting in the death of one staff member and injuries to several others. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that members of the Red Crescent Society have died in Gaza. We all recall how Israeli forces mercilessly shot and killed paramedics of the organization, whose bodies were found, in March, in a mass grave. We call on Israel to stop this lawlessness. Humanitarian and medical workers should not be targeted, and neither should the Red Crescent headquarters be targeted. It is clearly marked with its logo and is unambiguously under the protection of international humanitarian law. Contrary to West Jerusalem’s claims, the humanitarian blockade of the enclave, which West Jerusalem imposed in March, remains in place. According to the assessments by United Nations humanitarian agencies, the partial easing and limited supplies announced on 27 July as part of the so-called tactical pauses are merely a drop in the ocean compared to the acute needs of the people of Gaza, including, as we all understand, the needs of the Israeli hostages. In that context, we fully support the calls by the UNRWA leadership and other specialized United Nations agencies to immediately remove the impediments to the delivery of all essential supplies to What remains undeniable here is that the main prerequisite for ensuring uninterrupted and unimpeded humanitarian supplies should be the creation of the necessary security conditions. Unfortunately, the regular calls for a ceasefire, which we hear both from the Secretary-General and the overwhelming majority of the international community, have gone unheeded by the Israeli leadership. West Jerusalem is still of a mind to continue the war in Gaza by any means and under any pretext and is trying to prevent the stoppage of the military operation there. Equally disturbing is the fact that the Israeli authorities have embraced the policy of cleansing and colonizing the West Bank. Every day, ordinary Palestinians and even foreigners fall victim to relentless raids by security forces and settler violence. For example, on 30 July, there was an attack on an official vehicle of the Russian Mission to the Palestinian Authority, which was carried out under the lenient eye of the Israeli military. In addition, there are new grim records being set in terms of the destruction and seizure of local residents’ property, the construction of new settlements and the legalization of outposts with the aim of cutting off major Palestinian cities from each other. The Knesset continues to pass new provocative legislation. For instance, following last year’s decisions to ban UNRWA, an equally dangerous decision was taken at the end of July to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. It is clear that a systematic policy of exiling Palestinians, whether from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, is fraught with new risks and dangers for stability and security in the Middle East and could once again bring the region to the brink of a major war. It is also clear that Israel would never have had a free hand in Gaza and the West Bank without direct military support and international political cover from the United States. At the same time, an absolute majority of countries around the world are rejecting this policy. What is telling in this situation is the American and Israeli boycott of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held on 28 to 30 July, and Washington’s futile attempts to dissuade its partners from participating in the representative forum. We do have a certain optimism given that despite open pressure from the United States, most members of the international community were not scared and showed solidarity with the Palestinian people, and some Western capitals, albeit belatedly, have announced their plans to recognize the State of Palestine as early as next month. Despite the fact that the current situation is extremely difficult, we remain convinced that a diplomatic settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was, and remains, the only viable solution. We urge the parties, with the support of the mediators, to return to the negotiating table so as to work out mutually acceptable solutions to restore the ceasefire regime, release the detainees and unblock humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. We are confident that this is what the people of Palestine and the families of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza want. We hope that all regional and international stakeholders will work towards this goal. The negotiation process must be brought back to the political track, which would accommodate both Israel’s legitimate security interests and the Palestinian people’s hard-earned right to establish their own State within the 1967 borders.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting. I also appreciate Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his This is a conflict in which, just over the past weekend, bombardments have intensified across the Strip, including areas where displaced families sought safety and refuge. It is a conflict that has made clear that there is no safe place in Gaza. It is a conflict in which continued military operations in densely populated areas have led to immense civilian suffering and destruction. The longer this conflict continues, the greater the humanitarian tragedy and the further away the prospect of peace. Starvation is now a present and expanding reality for many. Somalia stresses that the use of starvation as a method of warfare is unacceptable and prohibited under international law. Access to water, food, electricity and healthcare remains extremely limited. The humanitarian response is constrained by insecurity and restricted access. My delegation reiterates its call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. We also call for the full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, including opening all crossings and lifting the siege on Gaza. We recognize and commend the vital role that the United Nations humanitarian agencies play in providing life-saving assistance in exceptionally challenging conditions. Their efforts are indispensable to alleviating suffering and must be supported and protected. We also express concern about the recent Israeli actions at Jerusalem’s holy sites, which challenge the established status quo and risk increasing tensions at this sensitive site, potentially undermining efforts towards peace and stability. We call for respect for the existing agreements and for restraint to be exercised in order to preserve calm and foster conditions for meaningful dialogue. Somalia emphasizes the imperative to protect all civilians and uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. We reiterate our call for the immediate release of all civilian hostages and detainees. Respect for civilian life and adherence to international legal standards must guide all actions without exception. We are also concerned about escalating violence in the West Bank, including settler attacks and home demolitions. Lasting peace cannot be achieved while such violations persist. There is no military solution to this conflict. The root causes of the crisis lie in decades of occupation and the denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. In that context, my delegation reaffirms its unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. My delegation supports the efforts facilitated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt aimed at ending violence, protecting civilians and opening a genuine political horizon. My delegation reaffirms its commitment to the two-State solution, as recently pledged at the high-level conference co-organized by Saudi Arabia and France. We also underscore the importance of the unification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate Palestinian authority, as well as the urgent need for a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s reconstruction. My delegation remains firmly committed to the principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and to the cause of peace, justice and dignity for all peoples in the Middle East. The people of Gaza and all those affected by this conflict deserve nothing less than for us to act now and give peace a chance and our collective resolve and compassion.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for his briefing. I welcome the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs at this meeting. And I thank Ilay David for his courage in sharing his story. The pain The horrific videos of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, filmed by the terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, should shock and appall the world. The footage of those two young men — tormented, starved and emaciated — is not only a reminder of the evil that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad represent. It also makes clearer than ever that the Security Council and the international community must stop pressuring Israel and instead impose maximum pressure on Hamas to immediately release all 50 hostages that they continue to hold captive. The hostages abducted on 7 October 2023 have now suffered for 668 days. The videos show Evyatar David, a 24-year-old kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival, with an appearance his own family described as a living skeleton buried alive, being forced by his terrorist captors to dig his own grave. Rom Braslavski, a 21-year-old abducted from the Nova festival, is pictured in similarly dire conditions. The United States has made clear that freeing the hostages is our priority, along with ensuring Hamas disarms and no longer rules Gaza. President Trump, Special Envoy Witkoff and Secretary Rubio continue to work tirelessly to end the war, release the hostages, including Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, the two Americans still held by Hamas, and bring peace to Gaza and give it a future free of Hamas. As President Trump said last week, the fastest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages. Yet Hamas has refused to do so. While Israel has accepted the terms of the ceasefire proposal, Hamas has consistently rejected them. That is emblematic of the bad faith we see from Hamas. Unfortunately, at a time when pressure on Hamas is more necessary than ever to free the hostages and end the war, some have instead taken steps that embolden Hamas and undermine the negotiators’ efforts. We must be clear that unproductive publicity stunts, such as last week’s two-State solution conference, and unilateral announcements regarding the recognition of a Palestinian State undercut the efforts of mediators and prolong the war. Those gifts to Hamas not only imperil the hostages, but they also hurt the civilians of Gaza, who continue to suffer what President Trump has recognized as real starvation. No one wants to see Palestinians civilians in Gaza go hungry and thirsty. The United States supports getting assistance to civilians in Gaza and has been actively working to support the secure delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. As President Trump has said, the United States is going to be even more involved in those efforts. On Friday, Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee travelled to Gaza where they met with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and other agencies and visited GHF aid distribution sites. The GHF recently announced reaching the milestone of delivering more than 100 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. On Sunday alone, the GHF reported delivering more than 1.5 million meals at its distribution sites. We recognize the important actions Israel has taken to facilitate the increased flow of aid into Gaza. Countries, including the members of the Council, face a choice: whether to continue with actions that reward and encourage Hamas or whether to hold the terrorist organization responsible for its actions. We should all be able to agree that the hostages must be freed without further delay and that Hamas can no longer rule Gaza and must disarm. The hostages must be returned home and Palestinians in Gaza must be allowed to begin a new chapter free of Hamas. We have once again heard members here make allegations of genocide. Those allegations are politically motivated and categorically false. They are part of a deliberate, cynical propaganda campaign as Hamas attempts to win symbolic victories to compensate for total defeat in war. The United States refutes those allegations entirely. The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas’ terrorism. Israel has taken numerous measures to limit harm to civilians and to address humanitarian needs. The loss of civilian life in Gaza is tragic but the responsibility for that rests with Hamas, which could stop the fighting today by agreeing to the ceasefire already accepted by Israel. With respect to recent reports of deaths of Palestinians near GHF aid distribution sites, I would say that the GHF has stated that recent reports of deaths near their distribution sites are false. The most recent tragedy occurred near United Nations convoys after they passed through the Ziqim crossing. The United Nations continues to turn down the GHF’s offers to collaborate and coordinate efforts. We mourn the loss of all innocent lives and agree that more assistance needs to safely reach those in need. And we encourage all to support the GHF’s efforts. In conclusion, the United States calls upon all countries to join together and say with one clear voice that Hamas must immediately surrender; release all the hostages, both those living and those who have already been murdered at the hands of Hamas; and allow this war to end.

We thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing, and we acknowledge the presence of Foreign Minister Saar and the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine in the meeting. We thank Ilay David for sharing his deeply personal testimony. The images of his brother, Eyvatar, which were published days ago, are simply horrifying. We feel and share the unbearable pain of his family. We strongly condemn Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for their cruelty towards the hostages. All images coming from Gaza these days — of hostages and of malnourished children — shock us to our core. They remind us of the unacceptable suffering of civilians, one year and nine months into this war. And our public keeps asking what else needs to happen in Gaza for the world to move to stop this war. Today Slovenia reiterates its call for the immediate, unconditional and dignified release of all hostages. This has been our call from the beginning. International law is clear: hostage-taking is prohibited. Using the images of starved hostages as propaganda is simply barbaric. We once again condemn the heinous acts of Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October 2023. While in captivity, all hostages must be afforded humane treatment, they must receive the medical care and attention that they so desperately require and the International Committee of the Red Cross should be granted immediate access to them. Deliberate starvation is unlawful and morally unacceptable, wherever it happens and whoever perpetrates it. All parties have obligations under international humanitarian law. And yet, in Gaza, these obligations have been systematically and gravely violated, with devastating consequences. We must be honest about the reality of the situation on the ground, and my Pakistani colleague already quoted the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification panel, which just last week raised the alarm that the worst-case scenario of famine and humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes. Israel is obliged to facilitate humanitarian aid. Instead, the months-long Israeli blockade has led us to a point of moral outrage. We see with our own eyes how the vulnerable are suffering — children, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant and breastfeeding women and hostages. No one is immune. Small improvements and public proclamations of humanitarian pauses are long overdue and simply not enough. We demand the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale to the population of Gaza. The United Nations and humanitarians must be able to do their life-saving work safely and securely. They have proved that they can deliver, if only they are allowed to do their job. We also appeal once again for the establishment of a corridor to facilitate medical evacuations of patients from Gaza to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Each human being has inherent dignity and value. In the midst of tragedy and chaos, we must never allow ourselves to deny the human element of this crisis. Names like Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski should not go unspoken or be forgotten in this Chamber, and neither should the names of children like Hind Rajab, who was killed while pleading for help, and Mahmoud Ajjour, who lost both arms. And there are many names that we may never know — countless lives destroyed, countless lives lost. As the father of one hostage powerfully said, “In a competition of pain, there are no winners”. We recall how during the ceasefire earlier this year, we witnessed scenes of hostages being reunited with their families, of aid at scale moving through crossings, of Palestinian children returning to school and of families returning to their homes, even if there was only rubble left behind. We hold on to the hope that this can once again become a reality. We need an immediate ceasefire and an end to the suffering of hostages and civilians alike. Slovenia urges all parties to recommit to ceasefire talks. Slovenia firmly rejects any plans to expand military operations in Gaza. Doing so would seriously endanger civilians, including hostages, and compound the humanitarian catastrophe. There is no military solution to this suffering. Experience has shown that such a solution brings us no closer to peace, freedom or security for Palestinians or for Israelis. A lasting ceasefire must be secured. A ceasefire gives desperate relief to all in Gaza living under relentless bombardment, a ceasefire brings hostages home, a ceasefire puts food on tables, and a ceasefire creates space for a political horizon towards a two-State solution. We must renew our demand for a ceasefire now.

I would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for his briefing and Mr. Ilay David for his powerful and moving testimony, and I express my deep sympathy for the suffering that he and other Greece reiterates its firm condemnation of the heinous terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023. The recently released images of hostages were yet another stark reminder of this continuing calamity. Today we stand in solidarity with the victims and their families and, above all, with those who remain in captivity. Our thoughts are with every hostage still held in Gaza, with those who returned home traumatized, with those who perished in captivity and with those whose fate remains unknown. We once again demand their immediate, unconditional, safe and dignified release. They must be released now. It is deeply troubling that these hostages have not been granted humanitarian access to address urgent medical and basic needs, as required under international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law. In the months that have followed the appalling events of 7 October 2023, the members of the Security Council have been discussing and debating the situation in the Middle East and specifically in the Gaza Strip, as events unfolded and a disastrous humanitarian situation took hold of the entire Strip. The world has witnessed violence surging and people agonizing over the future of their loved ones. It has witnessed starvation and death. Unfortunately, as we continue to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza, a feeling of frustration, of a peace that remains elusive, is ever prevalent. We have repeatedly condemned the atrocities of 7 October 2023. We have made it clear that Hamas has no place in Gaza on the day after. We have called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We have joined the calls of our fellow Council members for a ceasefire and for the massive delivery of humanitarian aid immediately to Gaza. We have called on Israel to lift the blockade and spare the starving population. We cannot accept the suffering and humiliation of the hostages at the hands of Hamas, or the anguish of their families; no one should. Nor can we turn a blind eye to the suffering of more than 2 million Palestinians and their quest to survive. The toll is staggering: thousands dead or injured, countless displaced and a population struggling daily to survive. In this regard, we call on all parties to show responsibility and opt for an agreement, as it is evident by now that this conflict has no military solution. The political process must be revitalized with the aim of creating conditions conducive to achieving a two-State solution, according to the relevant Security Council resolutions, while guaranteeing the right of Israel to exist in peace and security. As we have stressed before, there can be no day-after scenario for the Gaza Strip with Hamas. There can be no day-after scenario without the Palestinians in Gaza. The forced displacement of the population from the occupied Palestinian territories would amount to a grave violation of international law, jeopardize regional stability and security and undermine the prospect of a two-State solution — as would any other actions that run counter to that objective. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis on the ground demands immediate action. Millions are in urgent need of food, primary health services, education and shelter. Border crossings must remain open, the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East should not be undermined and civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected in line with international humanitarian law. We cannot change the past, but we can certainly shape the future. The suffering of both sides must come to an end. Neither the hostages and their families nor the Palestinians can afford another day of this devastation. I acknowledge the participation in today’s meeting of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, His Excellency Mr. Gideon Saar; the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine, His Excellency Mr. Riyad Mansour; and the representative of Argentina. I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for the updates and Mr. Ilay David for his bravery in sharing his story with the world. No one should be forced to experience any of the horrors taking place in Gaza, and Guyana commiserates with Mr. David and his family. Indeed, Mr. David’s account reminds us of the wanton degradation of human life that has persisted since 7 October 2023, and even before. This must be utterly rejected by the international community and brought to an end. The 7 October attacks have triggered, arguably, a season of unprecedented suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike, occasioning one of the deadliest days in Israel’s history and perhaps the deadliest period in Palestinian history. Guyana reiterates its condemnation of the 7 October attacks on Israel, as well as the disproportionate response by the Israel Defense Forces and the collective punishment inflicted on Palestinians, which continues today — almost two years later. The urgency of a ceasefire and of the need for a resolution to the present crisis cannot be overstated. We support the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to that end. A comprehensive response is required — one that addresses all elements of the situation. Compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, is central to an ultimate durable solution. In that context, Guyana reiterates its unequivocal call for the unconditional release of the remaining hostages, in keeping with the resolutions adopted by the Council, as well as its condemnation of the continued captivity of Israeli and other nationals in Gaza. The taking of hostages is a violation of international law, as stipulated in common article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and should not be used as a bargaining chip to extract concessions. Perpetrators of this crime must therefore be held accountable. Additionally, Guyana calls for the prompt removal by Israel of ongoing restrictions on, and impediments to, the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale throughout Gaza, which have led to famine, disease and death throughout Gaza. The Council should not countenance the denial of critical relief for human suffering, under any pretext. It would be an abomination for the international community to continue to allow innocent people, especially innocent children, to starve in the sight of food. The Council has a duty to act, urgently and collectively, to bring this war to an end and to hold all parties accountable for the violations that have ensued. Further, the ongoing displacement of Palestinians, both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, must also be urgently addressed in recognition of the inalienable rights of Palestinians to a homeland and of the imperatives of a just and lasting peace and having regard to the relevant decisions of the International Court of Justice. The international community should spare no effort to safeguard the prospects of a viable two-State solution, as mandated by the relevant United Nations resolutions, including an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands. The two-State solution remains the essential core of a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians and the broader Middle East. In closing, Guyana underscores that collective political will makes all the difference. Hence, at this nadir of the war in Gaza, as we witness the worst of inhumanity being inflicted on Gazans, we  — the Council  — must muster the collective political will to act decisively, comprehensively and effectively. We must

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the Republic of Panama. Panama thanks Mr. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, for his briefing and reiterates its support for the work carried out by United Nations agencies, within their strict limitations, in an extremely complicated environment in Gaza. We also welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, as well as the representative of the Observer State of Palestine and the representative of Argentina, who honour us today with their participation. Panama extends its special appreciation to Mr. Ilay David — brother of Evyatar David, one of the hostages still in captivity — who also honours us today with his participation. We value his courage in raising his voice on behalf of his family and so many other families who continue to live in the anguish of waiting for their loved ones. To him and to all the families of the hostages, Panama conveys its solidarity and respect. Panama has repeatedly expressed its deep concern about the catastrophic situation facing the entire suffering population currently in the Gaza Strip. Now, 669 days after the inhumane attacks of 7 October 2023, the hostages still being held, estimated to be at least 50 people, of whom 20 may still be alive, are still experiencing this sad reality at the hands of Hamas. This is an extreme manifestation of deliberate cruelty, which we have strongly condemned in this Chamber and which we condemn once again today. Hamas’ acts against the hostages, which include food deprivation and prolonged isolation, used sadistically as instruments of pressure and propaganda, and even the forced dissemination of videos, are a calculated attempt to break their will and intimidate them, while also constituting a violation of international humanitarian law. The recent appalling footage of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David reflects not only individual tragedies; it is irrefutable proof of the degrading, cruel and intolerable treatment to which all the hostages have been subjected for almost two years and call to mind harrowing memories of a history that should never have been repeated. Panama once again demands the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all the hostages. The plight of the captive hostages exists alongside the daily tragedy of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. Every person in the Strip is paying the price for the acts of extremism and calculated cruelty of Hamas, which has chosen to inflict pain rather than seek solutions. The future of Gaza must be free from Hamas and its acts of extremism. Millions of Palestinian civilians, mainly women, children and elderly persons, are confronting acute food insecurity, thirst, disease and forced displacement. Panama is not indifferent to this protracted suffering, which is a regrettable manifestation of dehumanization. We acknowledge the fortitude with which so many people are persevering amid destruction and despair, clinging to what little humanity remains in an environment that no human being should have to endure. In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy inflicted by man against man, alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza has become a pressing moral duty cast on us all alike. We appeal for vital resources to reach those who most need them. Accordingly, Panama underscores that all humanitarian The days when the truce, albeit a fragile one, was in force showed that it is possible to make progress both in terms of providing humanitarian assistance and bringing back those who have been deprived of liberty. That brief respite reminded us that there is still some space for humanity. In that connection, Panama reiterates its urgent call for the resumption of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza so as to end the human suffering of all, facilitate the sustained, unrestricted and sufficient entry of vital humanitarian aid and to ensure the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages still being held by Hamas, whose cruel and dramatic acts have escalated with the treatment inflicted on the hostages Braslavski and David. It is time to give moderation a chance, whereby dialogue and human dignity must form the basic principles of coexistence on which peace is built. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine.

We extend our warm congratulations to Panama on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. I thank Assistant Secretary- General Jenča for his briefing, and I acknowledge the testimony of Ilay David and the distressing, unacceptable video of his brother digging his own grave. We reject all inhumane and degrading treatment against anyone, especially persons held in captivity. From day one, calls for a ceasefire have been launched by the Palestinian people in Gaza and the calls of families of hostages echoed across the world. Both were actually aware that this war would mean more death and agony for their loved ones. And I am grateful to all of my colleagues — members of the Security Council — who have stressed the need for an immediate, continuous ceasefire. It saves lives. It releases hostages and Palestinian prisoners. It saves lives. It opens the doors and the crossings for humanitarian assistance. It stops the starvation of our people. It allows for the reconstruction of Gaza. It gives peace a possible chance. It gives all of us hope. I am very grateful to all of those members who have stressed these fundamental principles. It is in the hands of Council members, since they are entrusted by the Charter of the United Nations with maintaining international peace and security, to succeed in implementing their resolutions and, above all, to succeed in beginning with having an immediate ceasefire. Our goal remains unchanged, nearly 670 days later in this Israeli war of massacres and starvation against our people: release the hostages and prisoners; enable immediate, unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza, including by the United Nations humanitarian system, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; and secure the full withdrawal of Israel from Gaza so that the Palestinian Government can assume sole responsibility for governance and security, with regional and international support, and we can begin the recovery and reconstruction process immediately, on the basis of the internationally endorsed Arab-Organization of Islamic Cooperation plan, and move towards finally ending this illegal occupation and achieving a just peace. Yet, in direct contradiction with the calls from Israeli hostages’ families and hundreds of former Israeli military leaders, what is Israel’s answer to this worldwide call? “Let us occupy all of Gaza. Let us annex Palestinian land. Let us displace the Palestinian people”. The representative of Israel sent a letter, calling on the Council to address violations of international law that needed to be condemned. Speaking of abhorrent massacres of innocent civilians, of people being starved, tortured and treated inhumanely, of how they appeared emaciated, victims of starvation and abuse, Israel is demanding that the world take a stance against starvation when it is actually starving an entire civilian population; when it is shooting at them, while they seek water and food, with the most severe effects on the most vulnerable, with infants and children dying, and with those surviving facing untold pain and trauma. It is demanding that the world take a stance against the conditions of Israelis in captivity, when it is holding 2 million people captive under its deadly siege; when 76 Palestinian prisoners have died owing to torture, starvation or medical neglect in the past 20 months alone; when there are videos of Israeli jailors raping, beating and humiliating Palestinian prisoners; when the world has seen the images of hundreds of Palestinians arrested, men and boys placed almost naked on trucks and taken away, several of them having disappeared since; when 10,000 Palestinians languish in Israeli jails, thousands of them under administrative detention, the most arbitrary form of detention; when hundreds of our children remain detained; when Israel has held more than 1 million Palestinians prisoner since the onset of the occupation 58 years ago; when it has held the remains of Palestinians for years and decades. The killing of all civilians is unacceptable in all circumstances. The killing of children is unacceptable in all circumstances. We should not tolerate harming or killing a single child, regardless of their nationality or faith. Those who need to ask the nationality or faith of a perpetrator and of a victim to decide if they are outraged or not should go to check their humanity. Torture and ill treatment of those held captive are unacceptable, under any circumstances. It cannot be justified in some cases and condemned in others. Israel says the videos of Rom and Evyatar are unacceptable means of pressure. And they are. Just as when it has abducted thousands of civilians, as bargaining chips, and when it is starving millions of civilians, as a method of pressure, as its leaders have confessed, before finding a new narrative, given the international outcome. When Israel says this is a war of civilization against barbarism, it means that its barbaric acts have to be condoned because the perpetrators are Israelis and the victims are Palestinians. It does not even see the irony of it resorting to images that have been used and abused by colonial Powers, which claim to represent civilization against barbarism to justify their atrocities. That is why Israel’s Foreign Minister fails to grasp how his moral lessons to the rest of the world — scolding his closest allies, explaining that they should act according to his own very peculiar view of the law and humanity — sound totally tone deaf and are a source of worldwide contempt for him and his Government. But as we reject selective outrage, we should not practice it ourselves. We oppose and reject all attacks against civilians, whether Palestinians or Israelis. Nothing justifies harming civilians or those no longer taking part in hostilities. It cannot be justified by calling them terrorists and it cannot be justified by saying they are occupiers. The rules of international law must be upheld by all, and for all, to preserve our shared humanity. Allow me to address the Israeli people. The Government of Israel wants the Israeli people to believe that the whole world is conspiring against them, that the Palestinian people are terrorists, that the United Nations is filled with terrorists and terrorist supporters, that their closest allies are They want the Israeli people to believe that their survival depends on their ability to continuously wage wars, including against a defenceless civilian population, half of whom are children — 1 million Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli people need to decide if this is what they want their Government and military doing — these atrocities that the whole world is watching and that their Government is hoping they will filter out, deny or justify. In the midst of this genocide, we are telling them we choose peace and appeal to them to do the same. We do it for our children and our people. They should do it for their children and their loved ones. Enough bloodshed, enough wars, enough suffering, enough occupation. We are clear — what Israel did before 7 October 2023 cannot justify harming Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023. And what Hamas did on 7 October 2023 cannot justify harming Palestinian civilians ever since. There is no justification for the killing of more than 60,000 Palestinians, including nearly 20,000 children; the maiming of 200,000 Palestinians; the forced displacement and starvation of 2 million Palestinians; and the total destruction of Gaza. Likewise, there is no justification for the killing of more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, in attacks by Israeli occupation forces and Israeli settler terrorists, or for the forced displacement of 40,000 Palestinians and the destruction of their homes and refugee camps. The Israeli Government is promising the Israeli people that the solution is more occupation, more oppression, more displacement, more colonization and more killing — a recipe that has failed for eight decades. They must not believe them — if not for the Palestinian people’s sake, for their own; if not in the name of humanity, in the name of self-preservation. The solution is ending this illegal occupation and ending this disastrous conflict. It is the realization of the independence and sovereignty of the Palestinian State, not its destruction. It is the fulfilment of our rights, not their continued denial. It is respect for international law, not its trampling. It is the implementation of the two- State solution, not a one-State reality, with Palestinians condemned to genocide, ethnic cleansing or apartheid. The High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France and attended by approximately 185 States, with the active participation of 120 of them, has charted an irreversible path to peace. Amid all these tragedies and the pain that we have all endured, the International Conference sent a clear message  — there is an alternative way. All those who participated in the Conference and deliberated the outcome document and the annex made a loud and clear statement — there is an alternative way, and there is a possibility of peace. Palestinians are not destined to forever endure occupation, displacement and dispossession, and Palestinians and Israelis are not doomed to be at war eternally. That can be achieved by ending complicity and advancing compliance, ending impunity and upholding accountability, breaking the cycle of violence instead of fuelling it, rejecting violence instead of justifying it and implementing the two-State solution instead of watching it be destroyed. The only alternative is perpetual conflict. The Conference identified the action required of the parties and States around the world, in line with international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions and the There are only two parties that link the latest wave of recognition of the State of Palestine to 7 October 2023, against facts and reason: the Israeli Government, in order to deter Western Governments from such recognition; and Hamas, in order to take credit for it. The reality is that more countries are recognizing the State of Palestine in support of its enduring commitment to liberation through peaceful means, as reaffirmed yet again in President Abbas’s letter to President Macron and Crown Prince Al Saud in support of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self- determination, in support of the two-State solution, which requires an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, and in response to Israel’s attempts to destroy that State through the destruction of Gaza and the colonization of the West Bank, the forced transfer of our people and the annexation of our land. Such recognition is therefore in support of Palestinians’ rights, of peace and of an independent Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel based on the relevant United Nations resolutions. However, since this Israeli Government does not want peace and opposes a Palestinian State and the two-State solution, its opposition to such recognition is expected, and using arguments such that supporting the two-State solution is supporting terror is also expected, regardless of how absurd such a claim is. Peace starts with ending the war in Gaza. Peace will prevail once Palestinian rights are fulfilled and the Palestinian State is independent. We are ready to work with the United States Administration; Saudi Arabia, which showed leadership for Palestinian rights and peace; France, which made the right courageous decision to recognize the State of Palestine; and all countries that wish to see freedom, justice and peace prevail to finally achieve what some want us to believe is impossible, namely, peace in the Middle East. It is not impossible. We must work for it. It is the only alternative to war, destruction, hostages, prisoners, pain, death and starvation. Which one is nicer? Peace is much nicer than war and destruction. Peace saves lives, releases hostages and prisoners and gives our children and their children hope. Peace is what the world wants. Peace is the business of the Security Council in ensuring the maintenance of international peace and security. That is the alternative. For those who think that there is no alternative, no, war is not the alternative — peace is the alternative. We want a peace for all peoples and all States, a peace that can unleash the unbelievable potential of this region and a peace that saves lives today and achieves shared peace, security and prosperity tomorrow. The time we waste is measured in human lives, and we are out of time. The Council and the international community as a whole have a duty to act and to act now. Not a single minute more should be wasted.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Gideon Saar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel.

We heard the heartbreaking testimony of Ilay, brother of the hostage Evyatar David, who is being starved by Hamas. I want to thank the United States and other countries for answering our call and requesting this urgent and important meeting of the Security Council. However, we also heard so many lies here. I cannot refer to them all, but it was really funny to hear the representative of the Russian Federation, after three and a half years of a brutal invasion and brutal war in Ukraine and bombardments on the civilian population in Kyiv and other places, speaking here. I also heard the Palestinian representative. I must say that the Palestinians learned propaganda from him and the Soviet era, and they were good I come here today as the Foreign Minister of the State of Israel, the sovereign State of the Jewish people, fighting for its existence for almost two years on seven different fronts. I am here today because our hostages are still there, starved, tortured by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in the dungeons of Gaza. On 7 October 2023, Hamas invaded Israel for no reason. It committed evil crimes like the Nazis and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham did. Its members murdered and raped women, killed children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. They beheaded people, burned whole families alive, took 251 hostages into cruel captivity. Fifty of them are still there, starved and tortured. I want to read from the Dinah Project report. The report describes Hamas’ sickening sexual crimes and atrocities committed on 7 October and since then. Bodies were found with objects inserted into their private parts. Bodies of naked women were found cuffed onto trees. Bodies were found with signs of genital mutilation. Most of the sexually assaulted women were among the 1,166 murdered that day. After they were raped, they were murdered. They are forever silenced. But sexual violence continued for those who were taken in captivity. Amit Soussana was released from Hamas’ cruel captivity. She described bravely how she was forced at gunpoint to commit a sexual act on her capturer. That is the pure evil that Israel faces. Hamas’ crimes are still ongoing. This past weekend the entire world witnessed the cruel starvation of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, tortured at the hands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The world saw their terrible condition: bones sticking out under their skin, like living skeletons, with a look of death in their eyes. Evyatar was forced to dig his own grave. Council members just heard his brother, Ilay. Hamas and Islamic Jihad use the starvation and the torture of hostages as evil tools. It is part of a deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign. Its goals are: first, psychological terror, and secondly, an attempt to create a link between our starved hostages and their blood libel against Israel. But it is a campaign of lies. Israel has facilitated huge amounts of aid into Gaza since the beginning of the war, in a way that is unprecedented in the history of wars. By the way, the quantities are growing every day, if one follows that. It is still accused of starvation, but the truth must be told. Hamas sadistically starves our hostages while the terrorists enjoy meat, fish and vegetables. And we saw the brother of Evyatar demonstrate that with the photo of the well-fed terrorist with Evyatar in his terrible condition. There is also the thick, meaty arm of the well-fed terrorist next to Evyatar, the living skeleton forced to dig his own grave. We are facilitating huge amounts of aid into Gaza. No other country acts this way in war on such a large scale under such difficult circumstances. But Hamas loots the aid and uses it as a financial tool. We did not hear a word about that from the Palestinian representative. The demented Hamas terrorists cruelly decide if and what the hostages will eat, mainly what they will not eat. Evyatar spoke of entire days when he did not eat at all. Sick and starved hostages to this day still have not seen representatives of the The medicine they desperately need to survive has not reached them. While the terrorists, the murderers being held in Israeli prisons, receive medical care and nutrition, Hamas and Islamic Jihad torture our hostages. Terrorist States and organizations kidnapping civilians is not just our problem, but Hamas did it on a huge scale on 7 October. Those terrorist States and organizations do so in order to ensure their own survival and interests. Terrorists inhumanely kidnap innocent civilians as tools to achieve their goals. In the case of Hamas, they try to force upon us their conditions, remaining in power in Gaza. Council members must not delude themselves. They do not care whether someone else will take responsibility for civilian issues, for the ruins they left behind in Gaza. They want to stay the strongest military force to continue the war against Israel and its civilians. This dangerous phenomenon could happen tomorrow anywhere in the world. The world must put an end to the kidnapping of civilians. The international community must make it not worthwhile for the terrorists. Today it is Israel. Tomorrow it is members’ States. The world has been turned upside down while Hamas runs its propaganda machine. A huge part of the international media is both ignoring the truth and buying its lies. I read The New York Times the day after Hamas released the disturbing video of Evyatar David. I looked but could not find Evyatar on the front page, and then I could not find his picture in the paper at all. I call on the international media to put Evyatar and Rom front and centre. Is that not newsworthy? We are witnessing an upside-down world. We are witnessing the twisted anti-Israeli agenda of so much of the global media. They shift the responsibility from the kidnappers and rapists to the attacked country. They shift the blame from the terrorists to the victims. Instead of standing by Israel, they are blaming the victims. The victims of an attack from seven different fronts. And I ask here at the Security Council, do members know what Secretary-General Guterres tweeted after the horrible images of Evyatar and Rom were released? There was not a word, just deafening silence. Yet we all see his endless and obsessive tweets against Israel time and again. What we are witnessing today is the rise of psychotic antisemitism around the world, fuelled by modern blood libels, like the darkest days in history. Jews are hunted around the world simply because they are Jews in Melbourne, in Amsterdam and in Paris. It is not the only war on Earth, but it is the only case in which people are being hunted everywhere because of their nationality. Do Council members know of another nation fighting for its life and suffering around the world from hostility and violence? We are living in an upside-down world, a world in which Israel is put on a bench for the accused while it fights for its survival. There is a name for it — antisemitism. Eighty years after the end of the Holocaust, antisemitism is having its golden age once again. There are countries — even in this very building — that acted to pressure Israel instead of Hamas during sensitive days in the negotiations. They directly contributed to killing the chances of reaching a hostage deal and ceasefire. They prolonged this war. That is what they did. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of our hostages. We call on the Security Council to finally condemn Hamas for its evil crimes, to hold it responsible and to demand the immediate release of all our hostages.

I now give the floor to the representative of Argentina.

Good afternoon to one and all. Greetings to all of our colleagues, to Mr. Miroslav Jenča, as well as to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, Mr. Gideon Saar. Allow me also to express my country’s congratulations to Panama for taking up the Council’s presidency for the month of August. We wish it every success in the discharge of its noble duties. My delegation requested to take the floor today before the Council to clearly and firmly demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held by Hamas. The Republic of Argentina has always condemned terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations. And we do so not only due to our profound moral conviction, but also due to our own painful experience of having been victims of two attacks that shook our people: the 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy and the 1994 attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association headquarters. We know the harm that terrorism wreaks, and it is seared into our national memory. The heinous attack on 7 October 2023 in Israel was not just another incident — it was an expression of planned cruelty, an act of terrorism of unprecedented brutality that claimed the lives of Argentine nationals and saw the kidnapping of more than 20 Argentinians, including many children, such as Kfir Bibas, who was just nine months old and was later massacred in the tunnels in Gaza. We continue to demand the unconditional and immediate return of the four Argentinians still in captivity: Eitan Horn, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio and the body of Lior Rudaeff, as well as all of the hostages still held by the terrorist organization Hamas. The situation of the hostages is essentially a humanitarian question. It is unacceptable that they continue to be deprived of their freedom. They have now spent 669 days in conditions that we have seen reflected in videos recently circulated — pawns in a game of perverse media terrorism, the only aim of which is to continue sowing terror and anguish among the victims of the hostages, as we heard today from Ilay David. What we have seen over these 20 months, through images and testimonies, are acts of torture. There is no possible justification for such barbarity and antisemitism. Silence and indifference are not an option. The international community cannot allow horror to become normalized, nor for those responsible to go unpunished. The Argentine demand for the release of the hostages remains as strong as it was at the outset of the terrorist attack. Our commitment is unwavering — to the families of those who have lost their lives, to those who have managed to return and to those who remain in the hands of Hamas. We will not cease in speaking out until all of the hostages have been returned home.