Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN
Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on the Middle East.
Nine months since the 7 October attacks, at least 120 hostages,
alive and dead, remain held in horrific conditions. Innocent
Palestinians continue to suffer and die in Gaza. A devastating
humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day. There is an imminent
risk of famine. And we are deeply concerned about the risk of
regional escalation, in particular along the blue line between
Israel and Lebanon.
President, in one of his first acts as UK Prime Minister, Sir
set out the urgent need for an
immediate ceasefire, immediate release of all hostages, and an
immediate surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We strongly
support the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States
to this end - the deal on the table, endorsed by this Council in
resolution 2735, is the best chance to support this. We urge both
sides to show flexibility in negotiations and demonstrate a clear
and firm commitment to ensure implementation of the
deal.
First, we are calling on Israel to protect civilians, to allow
unfettered aid into Gaza and to ensure the UN and humanitarian
actors have the access and equipment necessary to safely get aid
to those who need it most. We reaffirm our support for UNRWA and
the vital role it plays in saving lives in Gaza as well as
providing basic services and promoting stability in the West Bank
and the wider region – a fundamental building block for lasting
peace. It is essential that UNRWA is able to operate on a
sustainable financial basis and able to deliver on its
mandate.
Second, we express our serious concern at the escalating violence
perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank. We condemn recent
Israeli expansion of settlements. We reject decisions by the
Government of Israel to declare 2,357 hectares of land in the
West Bank as ‘state lands' so far this year – the largest of such
declarations of state land since the Oslo Accords. Such acts are
not only illegal under international law, but also undermine
prospects for a two-state solution. We demand a halt to these
illegal activities.
Third, there is no military solution to this conflict. Pursuing
military options will only deepen divisions and perpetuate the
suffering of Palestinians and Israelis. The civilian death toll
in Gaza is unacceptable. Reports of civilian casualties following
Israeli strikes near schools and designated humanitarian zones in
Gaza in recent weeks were appalling – as the Foreign Secretary
said, urgent measures are needed to protect civilians.
We are appalled by the impact of the conflict on women and
children. The UN estimates that there are over 17,000
unaccompanied children in Gaza, and over 5,000 women have been
confirmed as killed, with many more unidentified or missing. Many
of those killed and missing are mothers. Children are especially
vulnerable to being killed, maimed, separated from their family,
suffering trauma, acute malnutrition, violence, and exploitation.
Women and girls in Gaza face a desperate struggle to access food
and ensure basic hygiene, health and dignity in the face of
unfathomable sanitary conditions, rape, and conflict related
sexual violence.
Peace will be sustainable only if both Israelis and Palestinians
recommit to a renewed peace process resulting in a two-state
solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and
sovereign Palestinian State – the undeniable right of the
Palestinian people. The UK Foreign Secretary's visit to the
region this week signifies our unwavering commitment to this end.
The UK Prime Minister has spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu,
President Abbas, and other regional leaders, underscoring the
UK's commitment to play its full diplomatic role in securing a
ceasefire deal and creating the space for a credible and
irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution. The world
needs a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign
Palestinian state.
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