Now that Australia - along with Bahrain, Canada, Netherlands and the United Kingdom - has committed itself to military and/or logistical support of the United States plan to curb Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial shipping transiting the Red Sea, the potential exists when combined with ongoing American airstrikes on sites in Yemen along with Israeli cross-border missile exchanges with Lebanon and US reciprocating when its military bases in Iraq & Syria were threatened by allegedly Iran-backed militias after 7 October 2023, for a wider Middle East war to develop.
It is perhaps time ordinary folk in this country began to acquaint themselves with more details as to both the growing conflict and international moves to limit the risks. As opposed to relying solely on media opinion.
On the heels of the conclusion of the two-day sitting of the International Court Of Justice (The Hague) in the matter of South Africa v Israel - in which a provisional ruling on the Israel Likud Government's intent and actions as it continues its war on Gaza and the Palestinian people - the United Nations Security Council was also sitting in New York to consider the question of Palestine and in particular statements proposing the permanent resettlement the Palestinian people outside of the Palestinian territories in a third country.
United
Nations Security Council, media release,
12 January 2024:
9531ST
MEETING (PM)
SC/15564
12
JANUARY 2024
As
Israel’s Aerial Bombardments Intensify, ‘There Is No Safe Place
in Gaza’, Humanitarian Affairs Chief Warns Security Council
Delegates
Reject Statements Proposing Palestinians Resettle Outside Territory
A
staggering 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza — 1.9
million civilians — have been forcibly displaced amid Israel’s
military operations, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator
told the Security Council today, as delegates categorically rejected
any statements proposing that Palestinians should be resettled
outside of Gaza, including from members of the Israeli Government.
Martin
Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator, painted a grim picture of the horrific
situation in Gaza, where more than 23,000 people have been killed and
more than 58,000 injured since 7 October. Shelters are overflowing,
food and water running out, the risk of famine growing by the day and
the health system collapsing, with winter “exacerbating the
struggle to survive”. Describing as “deplorable” that
facilities critical to the survival of civilians have come under
relentless attack, he said that, as ground operations move
southwards, aerial bombardments have intensified in areas where
civilians were told to relocate for their safety.
“More
and more people are being crammed into an ever-smaller sliver of
land, only to find yet more violence and deprivation, inadequate
shelter and a near absence of the most basic services,” he
continued. “There is no safe place in Gaza” and dignified human
life is “a near impossibility,” he said, adding: “Even if
people were able to return home, many no longer have homes to go to.”
Warning that the spread of hostilities further southwards would
significantly increase pressure for the mass displacement of people
into neighbouring countries, he firmly rejected any attempt to change
the demographic composition of Gaza.
Ilze
Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, recalled
that massive displacement in the enclave commenced on 12 October
2023, with Israel ordering Palestinian civilians north of the Wadi
Gaza to vacate their homes and go south. However, such compelled
evacuation failed to comply with international law and could amount
to forcible transfer — a war crime, she asserted.
Warning
against the risks of further massive displacement — potentially
even beyond Gaza’s borders — she said incendiary statements by
some members of Israel’s leadership pushing for permanent
resettlement of Palestinians overseas have entrenched fears that
Palestinians are being deliberately forced out of Gaza. Their right
to return home must be subject to “an ironclad guarantee” and
Israel must support their return by restoring essential services and
facilitating the necessary reconstruction of Gaza, given that the
scale of destruction and the presence of unprecedented levels of
explosive remnants of war represent major obstacles to their return.
In
the ensuing discussion, numerous delegates rejected recent statements
by Israeli ministers vis-à-vis plans to encourage the mass transfer
of civilians from Gaza to third countries. Warning against a
deepening humanitarian crisis and woefully inadequate aid levels,
many called for an urgent and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Algeria’s
delegate underscored that the barbaric bombardment of Gaza and
targeting of all signs of life is clearly aimed at killing “the
hope of returning home in the hearts and minds of Palestinians.”
Many officials of the occupying Power seek to terminate the
Palestinian question by evacuating the entire occupied territory, he
observed, rejecting the forced displacement as “there is no place
for Palestinians except on their land”.
The
representative of the United States rejected statements by some
Israeli ministers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside
of Gaza and opposed the advancement of settlements in the West Bank,
highlighting her country’s visa restrictions against individuals
who are undermining peace there. Concurrently, she expressed concern
over some Council members’ refusal to condemn Hamas.
The
representative of the Russian Federation cited the threat of forced
transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as
“part of the bloody puzzle that makes up the picture of the
catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza”. Civilian
infrastructure in Gaza has been practically destroyed, while United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) institutions — providing refuge to forcibly
transferred persons — have continued to be subjected to Israeli
bombings, he observed.
Along
similar lines, China’s delegate categorically rejected any forced
displacement of the Palestinian people, noting that the “voluntary
emigration” from Gaza that some Israeli leaders have called for
would mean driving 2 million people out. That would constitute an
atrocity crime under international law and destroy the prospect of
the two-State solution, he said, also highlighting that Israel has
placed numerous obstacles that block access to humanitarian supplies.
The
Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine said that, “in 100
days, virtually every Palestinian in Gaza has been displaced multiple
times, from a home to a UN shelter to a tent — searching for safety
everywhere, finding safety nowhere; searching for life anywhere, met
by death everywhere.” Noting that the Palestinian people have been
stripped of their right to live in freedom and dignity on their land
for decades, he opposed Israel’s criminal vision offering only
three options: death, exodus or subjugation.
Israel’s
delegate, meanwhile, stated that “every UN body is weaponized
against Israel by the Palestinians” and South Africa’s libellous
case at the International Court of Justice is the epitome of the UN’s
dystopian reality. “There is no forced displacement,” he said,
citing his Prime Minister’s statement that Israel has no intention
of displacing the population. Instead, Israel is fighting Hamas
terrorists, who use Gazans as human shields, he pointed out, adding
that his Government requested the temporary evacuation of civilians
to mitigate civilian casualties.
THE
SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
Briefings
MARTIN
GRIFFITHS, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that, for nearly 100 days,
what has been unfolding in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian
Territory is a war conducted with almost no regard for the impact on
civilians. In Gaza, the situation remains horrific as relentless
Israeli military operations continue, with the tens of thousands of
people killed and injured, the vast majority women and children.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 23,000 people
have now been killed and more than 58,000 injured since 7 October. A
staggering 85 per cent of the total population — 1.9 million
civilians — were forcibly displaced, traumatized and forced to flee
again and again as the bombs and missiles rained down. Highlighting
the appalling conditions on the ground, he said shelters are
overflowing, and food and water running out, and the risk of famine
growing by the day. The health system is in a state of collapse:
women are unable to give birth safely; children cannot get
vaccinated; the sick and injured cannot get treatment; and infectious
diseases are on the rise.
“Now
winter has arrived in Gaza, bringing with it bitter cold,
exacerbating the struggle to survive,” he said, describing as
“deplorable” that facilities critical to the survival of the
civilian population have come under relentless attack. A total of
134 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) facilities have been hit and 148 UN personnel
and non-governmental organization staff have been killed in Gaza.
“Humanitarian sites have been struck on numerous occasions, despite
their identification and notification to the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF),” he asserted. As ground operations move southwards, aerial
bombardments have intensified in areas where civilians were told to
relocate for their safety. “More and more people are being crammed
into an ever-smaller sliver of land, only to find yet more violence
and deprivation, inadequate shelter and a near absence of the most
basic services,” he stressed.
“There
is no safe place in Gaza,” he said, noting that dignified human
life is “a near impossibility”. Rafah, where the pre-crisis
population was around just 280,000 people, is now home to 1 million
displaced persons. UN efforts to send humanitarian convoys to the
north have been met with delays, denials and the imposition of
impossible conditions. The lack of respect for the humanitarian
notification system puts every movement of aid workers in danger, as
do the wholly insufficient quantities of armoured vehicles. “Corpses
left lying in the road; people with evident signs of starvation
stopping trucks in search of anything they can get to survive,” he
said, describing scenes of utter horror in the north. “Even if
people were able to return home, many no longer have homes to go to,”
he said. Describing the provision of humanitarian assistance across
Gaza as “almost impossible”, he pointed to “largely absent”
access to Khan Younis and the Middle Area.
He
went on to underscore that, while there has been some minor increase
in the number of trucks entering via Rafah and Kerem Shalom,
humanitarian supplies alone will not be able to sustain more than 2
million people. The system for medical evacuation of patients to
Egypt is also woefully inadequate in the face of the massive needs.
In these circumstances, the spread of hostilities further southwards
would significantly increase pressure for the mass displacement of
people into neighbouring countries. Some countries have already
offered to host civilians who want to leave Gaza for their
protection, he said, emphasizing that any persons displaced from Gaza
must be allowed to return. Sounding deep alarm over recent
statements by Israeli ministers vis-à-vis plans to encourage the
mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries, currently
being referred to as “voluntary relocation”, he stressed that
“any attempt to change the demographic composition of Gaza must be
firmly rejected”.
“While
Gaza is the epicentre of this crisis, let us not forget the 1,200
people killed, thousands injured, and hundreds taken in the brutal
attack by Hamas and other armed groups on Israel on 7 October, and
the accounts of abhorrent sexual violence,” he said, adding that
rocket-fire continues into populated areas of Israel, causing more
civilian casualties and trauma. Also, more than 100,000 people have
been displaced within Israel as a result of the 7 October attack by
Hamas and other armed groups and due to ongoing rocket fire from
armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon. Expressing extreme concern about
the risk of a further regional spread of this conflict, he
spotlighted increasing tension and hostilities in the West Bank and
an alarming increase in settler violence. The upsurge in tensions
and military activity in Lebanon, the Red Sea and Yemen demonstrates
that “we cannot allow this to metastasize further” as “the
consequences of a wider conflagration would be unimaginable”, he
warned. “What we have seen since 7 October is a stain on our
collective conscience; unless we act, it will become an indelible
mark on our humanity,” he said, urging for a ceasefire and calling
on the Council to take urgent action to bring this war to an end.
ILZE
BRANDS KEHRIS, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights,
described the current conditions in Gaza as “not just a by-product
of conflict, but the direct result of the manner in which hostilities
have been conducted”. Massive displacement in the enclave
commenced on 12 October 2023 with Israel ordering Palestinian
civilians north of the Wadi Gaza to vacate their homes and go south.
Israel, however, has made “scant provision” to ensure such
relocations comply with international law, failing to ensure access
to appropriate hygiene, health, safety, nutrition and shelter. Such
compelled evacuations could amount to forcible transfer, a war crime.
Many civilians have sought in vain to find locations safe from
Israel’s massive bombardment and other military operations.
Compounding
a 17-year blockade imposed by Israel, the occupying Power is failing
in its obligations to facilitate entry of sufficient aid and
essential commercial goods into Gaza, she said. More than 90 per
cent of the population is now suffering from acute food insecurity —
many on the brink of avoidable human-made famine. Starvation of the
civilian population as a method of war is prohibited, she warned,
pointing to serious concerns about the potential commission of war
crimes, as evidenced in the unacceptably high civilian casualty rate,
the nearly complete destruction of essential civilian infrastructure,
the displacement of most of the population and the abominable
humanitarian conditions in which 2.2 million people are being forced
to endure. The risk of further grave violations, even atrocity
crimes, is real. With people desperate for safety and security, the
Council must be alive to the risks of further massive displacement,
potentially even beyond Gaza’s borders.
In
that regard, incendiary statements by some members of Israel’s
leadership pushing for permanent resettlement of Palestinians
overseas have entrenched fears that Palestinians are being
deliberately forced out of Gaza. Their right to return to home must
be subject to “an ironclad guarantee”. Israel, as the occupying
Power, must support their return by restoring essential services and
facilitating the necessary reconstruction of Gaza, given that the
scale of destruction and the presence of unprecedented levels of
explosive remnants of war represent major obstacles to their
near-term return home.
An
immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages are
indispensable first steps towards a durable solution, she stressed,
insisting that the protection of civilians must be prioritized.
Settler violence in the West Bank must also be condemned and
accountability must be vigorously pursued. “This current violence
comes in the context of decades of human rights violations,” she
said, emphasizing the need to address the underlying root causes of
conflict, including accountability for violations committed before,
on and since 7 October. An enduring peace can be built only by
ensuring justice and the rights of all peoples — both of
Palestinians and Israelis, she asserted.
Statements
AMAR
BENDJAMA (Algeria) stated that what is happening in Gaza “will
remain a disgrace on the conscience of humanity”. He asked if it
is not enough to kill 10,000 children, injure more than 60,000 people
and destroy more than 60 per cent of the buildings in Gaza, and for
the entire population to face the risk of famine. The barbaric
bombardment of Gaza and targeting of all signs of life is clearly
aimed at killing “the hope of returning home in the hearts and
minds of Palestinians”, he said. He noted that many officials of
the occupying Power seek to terminate the Palestinian question by
evacuating the entire occupied territory — as while the focus is on
Gaza, “we must not forget the West Bank and Jerusalem.”
Rejecting the forced displacement as “there is no place for
Palestinians except on their land,” he called for an urgent and
permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
LINDA
THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) observed: “It has been
more than three months since Hamas carried out the deadliest attacks
against Jews since the Holocaust and set this conflict in motion”.
Israel has committed to have the United Nations send an assessment
team to north Gaza, she said, rejecting statements by some Israeli
ministers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
Statements by Israeli officials calling for the mistreatment of
Palestinian detainees or the destruction of Gaza are irresponsible,
but she also expressed concern over some Council members’ refusal
to condemn Hamas. On the unprecedented rise in violence in the West
Bank, she noted that Palestinian extremist militants are carrying out
attacks against Israeli civilians. Opposing the advancement of
settlements in the West Bank, she highlighted her country’s visa
restrictions against individuals who are undermining peace there.
Further, the Palestinian Authority must make steps towards reform and
revitalization, and Israel must release revenues that allow the
Authority to pay its security forces. “At this profoundly difficult
moment, the United States has stepped up” to advance a vision for a
lasting peace, she added.
VASSILY
A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) expressed concern over the
threat of forced transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank, guided by unlawful steps taken by the West and Jerusalem.
“This is only part of the bloody puzzle that makes up the picture
of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” he said,
spotlighting the 23,000 deaths and the thousands still buried under
ruins. Given the pace and power of strikes in populated areas,
civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been practically destroyed.
Further, most internally displaced or forcibly transferred persons
have found refuge in UNRWA institutions that — despite their status
— have continued to be subjected to Israeli bombings. This ghastly
humanitarian situation demonstrates how catastrophic it could be to
continue ignoring international law. While the 7 October attacks
were reprehensible, they cannot legitimize Israel’s subsequent,
indiscriminate use of force. Highlighting the Council’s failure to
adopt a resolution unequivocally calling for an immediate ceasefire,
he warned against further escalation.
JOSÉ
JAVIER DE LA GASCA (Ecuador), recalling that his delegation
called for an end to inflammatory statements more than a year ago,
expressed regret that today’s meeting was convened exactly because
of such rhetoric. The Council has clearly rejected the forced
displacement of the civilian population of Gaza, including children,
in violation of international law. Citing resolutions 2712 (2023) and
2720 (2023), he deplored that the Council’s decisions have had a
limited impact on the ground. Obviously, without a humanitarian
ceasefire, those decisions cannot be implemented. However, “we
cannot lose heart”, he said, urging the international community to
do everything possible to improve the situation. He went on to
condemn Hamas’ atrocious terrorist acts and called for both the
immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for
humanitarian-access guarantees.
BARBARA
WOODWARD (United Kingdom) firmly rejected any statements
proposing that Palestinians should be resettled outside of Gaza,
including from members of the Israeli Government. She voiced alarm
that since 7 October, at least 198 Palestinian households, including
586 children, have been displaced following an increase in extremist
settler violence, calling on the Government of Israel to not only
condemn that violence but also take direct action. Warning that
current aid levels into Gaza are woefully inadequate and deepening
the humanitarian crisis, she noted that the World Food Programme
(WFP) reports that 9 out of 10 people there have less than one meal a
day. She called for a sustainable ceasefire in which Hamas no longer
poses a threat to Israel’s security, aid is delivered without
hindrance and Palestinians can return to the areas of Gaza from which
they have been displaced — further noting that immediate, sustained
humanitarian pauses will also allow for hostages to be released.
ZHANG
JUN (China), noting that more than 23,000 people in Gaza have
lost their lives, said that hundreds of thousands of people are
struggling to survive in makeshift tents. Though an immediate
ceasefire has become the overwhelming call of the international
community, a permanent Council member has been using excuses to veto
consensus. Some people talk constantly about the protection of human
rights and prevention of genocide while stonewalling and deflecting
attention from the appalling situation in Gaza, he added. Any forced
displacement of the Palestinian people must be firmly rejected, he
stressed, pointing out that the “voluntary emigration” from Gaza
that some Israeli leaders have called for would mean driving 2
million people out. That would constitute an atrocity crime under
international law and would destroy the prospect of the two-State
solution. On the dire humanitarian situation, he noted that Israel
has placed numerous obstacles that block access to humanitarian
supplies. Welcoming the Secretary-General’s proposal to appoint
Sigrid Kaag as United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction
Coordinator for Gaza, he underscored that only a ceasefire can
prevent greater civilian casualties and create conditions for the
early release of all hostages.
VANESSA
FRAZIER (Malta) underscored the urgent need to facilitate the
delivery of humanitarian aid into and within Gaza, including through
the opening of additional crossing points. Further, all arbitrary
bureaucratic impediments to humanitarian operations must cease, the
safety of UN staff and humanitarian workers must be secured and the
remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza must be immediately
released. Establishing a humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to
mount a meaningful humanitarian response throughout the entirety of
Gaza, she stressed. Such a cessation of hostilities is also critical
within the context of displaced Palestinian people, who must either
be allowed to return to their homes or be provided with adequate,
safe shelter until their homes are rebuilt. Accordingly, she rejected
any attempt to forcibly transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, adding
that Israeli settler violence is “unacceptable”.
YAMAZAKI
KAZUYUKI (Japan) noted the unimaginable extent of human
suffering in Gaza, warning that famine is imminent and humanity is in
crisis. The international community must continue to work with a
greater sense of urgency towards alleviating the humanitarian
disaster in Gaza. While the Council adopted resolutions 2712 (2023)
and 2720 (2023), their effective implementation regrettably remains
elusive due to the ongoing heavy fighting. “As violent regional
spillover is already happening, what is most urgent is the
de-escalation of the conflict,” he said, rejecting the recent
inflammatory rhetoric by Israeli ministers on the “resettlement”
of Palestinians outside of Gaza. Any attempt to forcibly displace
the Palestinian people is inconsistent with relevant Council
resolutions and violates international law, he said, stressing the
need to create conditions to enable displaced Palestinians to return
home safely while noting reports that Israel has agreed to allow the
United Nations to carry out an assessment mission in northern Gaza.
SAMUEL
ZBOGAR (Slovenia) expressed concern over statements made by
some Israeli ministers proposing the mass displacement of
Palestinians from Gaza, which would constitute a potential war crime
under international humanitarian law. Noting that 85 per cent of
Gazans have been displaced amid military operations, he called for
humanitarian aid to be scaled up. He also expressed support for the
appointment of Sigrid Kaag as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction
Coordinator for Gaza, where essential infrastructure is damaged and
no place is deemed safe. Hamas’ brutal acts — while unacceptable
— cannot justify the disproportionate destruction of life and
civilian infrastructure in Gaza, he stressed. “Condemning the
statements on displacement is not enough,” he added, underlining
the need to prevent actions leading to displacement. He therefore
called for an immediate ceasefire to halt the destruction, facilitate
the release of hostages and restore calm to the region.
MICHAEL
IMRAN KANU (Sierra Leone) condemned in the strongest terms the
heinous attack against Israeli civilians by Hamas and the taking of
hostages, calling for their immediate and unconditional release. He
further strongly condemned attacks on Palestinian civilians and
infrastructure and collective punishment, rejecting any attempt to
remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank either
temporarily or long-term. Voicing regret over the reported killing
of about 23,000 Palestinian civilians, as well as the ultimate cost
paid by UN and other humanitarian workers and journalists, he called
for accountability for all those guilty of crimes against
international humanitarian law. Expressing grave concern over the
severe humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, he called for an
immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which would bring an end to
atrocities and reduce regional tensions.
SANGJIN
KIM (Republic of Korea), condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel,
said that Gaza has become “a place of death and despair”. Even
hospitals are targets for military operations and air strikes, he
said, adding that there has been little improvement on the
humanitarian front despite the adoption of resolutions 2712 (2023)
and 2720 (2023). “Countless trucks with humanitarian aid from
numerous countries are lining up waiting for their turn to enter
Gaza,” he said. Underscoring Palestinians’ right to live on
their own land, he expressed concern over comments by high-level
Israeli officials about the so-called “voluntary migration” of
Palestinians out of Gaza. Resolution 2334 (2016) clearly condemns
all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character
and status of Palestinian territory. “Gaza must not be resettled,”
he stressed, adding that such inflammatory rhetoric does not help to
ease the tensions that are now widespread across the Middle East.
CAROLYN
RODRIGUES-BIRKETT (Guyana) expressed concern over the forced
displacement of Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October, noting multiple
instances of this within the territory. In this context, she sounded
alarm over statements by certain officials suggesting that
Palestinians in Gaza should be forcibly transferred to countries in
the region and elsewhere. “Palestinian men, women and children
have been herded into smaller and smaller spaces in the Gaza Strip
and forced to eke out an existence in the most inhumane conditions
and without an adequate supply of food, water, medicine, fuel and
other basic items essential for survival,” she said. Further,
displaced persons live with the constant threat of bombs killing or
maiming them and their loved ones. Calling for an immediate
ceasefire, she warned: “Displacement will continue, because people
will have to keep moving in the hope of finding safety somewhere in
the hell that is Gaza right now.”
DOMINGOS
ESTÊVÃO FERNANDES (Mozambique) warned that regional
escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has reached the highest
level, underscoring the imperative that fighting must cease
immediately before the consequences spread any further or before it
is too late to stop and limit its repercussions. Council members
have an obligation to ensure moderation and restraint. International
laws must take precedence over these actions. “An immediate
ceasefire is our best hope,” he said, as it would allow
humanitarian access under Council resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720
(2023). Most importantly, it would potentially enable negotiations
towards peace and a two-State solution: Israel and Palestine
coexisting peacefully in accordance with the relevant resolutions of
the Council and the General Assembly.
ADRIAN
DOMINIK HAURI (Switzerland) condemned the unjustifiable acts
of terror committed by Hamas on 7 October, reiterating the call for
all hostages still held in Gaza to be immediately and unconditionally
released. Noting that, since that day, more than 23,400 people have
been killed and more than 59,600 injured — with 85 per cent of the
population of Gaza forced to flee — he condemned all statements
aimed at expelling civilians from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He also called for an urgent increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza,
warning that famine is already affecting half a million Gazans and
observing that the use of starvation as a method of warfare “may
constitute a war crime”. On that, he recalled that the
International Criminal Court is investigating the situation in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, covering both the events of 7 October
and those currently taking place in Gaza and the West Bank.
NICOLAS
DE RIVIÈRE (France), Council President for January, speaking
in his national capacity, echoed the call for a lasting ceasefire,
adding that this is vital to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian
aid to the civilians in Gaza. His country will continue to provide
humanitarian, financial and material aid to the Gaza Strip. Calling
for the immediate release of all hostages, he said the Council must
condemn the attacks perpetrated by Hamas and other terrorist groups
on 7 October 2023. France will continue its work to impose sanctions
against Hamas at a European level, he added, also expressing support
for the two-State solution, with both States having Jerusalem as
their capital. “We must work to build a State for the Palestinian
people”, he said, highlighting the pivotal role of the Palestinian
Authority in that process. Condemning Israel’s settlement policy,
he said it is crucial to put an end to settler violence in the West
Bank. “France staunchly condemns the Houthi attacks against
commercial vessels in the Red Sea”, he said, adding that “these
undermine navigational rights and freedoms”.
RIYAD
MANSOUR, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine,
thanked South Africa for its moral leadership with the case it
presented before the International Court of Justice against Israel
for genocide. The world is watching a Nakba unfold, he said, adding
that 70 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza are already refugees who
were denied their right of return for decades now. Many of the
people in Gaza have had their homes destroyed in previous assaults.
Palestinians in Gaza today mourn their loved ones, and mourn their
homes, that they built and rebuilt for themselves and their families.
“In 100 days, virtually every Palestinian in Gaza has been
displaced multiple times, from a home to a UN shelter to a tent —
searching for safety everywhere, finding safety nowhere; searching
for life anywhere, met by death everywhere,” he said, stating:
Israel “killed and maimed our children, our doctors, our
journalists, our engineers, our poets, our academics”.
While
Israel was hoping Palestinians would leave under the pressure of its
bombardments, they have not; now it is hoping they will leave because
of the destruction the bombs have left behind, he continued. “Our
people have a simple dream, to live in freedom and dignity on their
land,” he said, stressing that they have been stripped of their
right for decades. With mass killings of Palestinians by Israel
continuing, death is everywhere and “starvation, dehydration,
disease are spreading like wildfire”. Israel wants the Palestinian
people to choose between destruction and displacement, between
genocide and ethnic cleansing, he asserted, opposing the supremacist,
racist and criminal vision that this conflict could end by
Palestinians accepting that they have only three options: death,
exodus or subjugation. “All those who want to see shared peace and
security should not spread fire. They must support an immediate
ceasefire” he declared.
GILAD
MENASHE ERDAN (Israel) said that none of the resolutions
adopted by the Council and the General Assembly condemned Hamas for
their massacre of 1,300 Israelis. Not a single discussion has been
dedicated to advance the release of hostages. During these 100 days,
not once did the Council convene to focus on a baby held hostage.
The United Nations has lost all moral credibility. He recalled that
76 years ago, the Organization represented a moment of justice and
morality when the General Assembly decided to establish a Jewish
State and an Arab State. Israel accepted the decision, while the
Palestinians rejected it and have used every means to annihilate
Jews, including by using the United Nations as a weapon. “Every UN
body is weaponized against Israel by the Palestinians,” he said.
He
said that the Arab League representative on the Council found it
crucial to discuss the force displacement of Gazans in the same week
that Gaza was already discussed. “There is no forced
displacement,” he said, citing his Prime Minister’s statement
that Israel has no intention of displacing the population. Israel is
solely fighting Hamas terrorists, who use Gazans as human shields.
To mitigate civilian casualties, Israel requested the temporary
evacuation of civilians. Over 1 million Afghan-Muslims are being
forcibly removed from their homes in Pakistan, but the Council has
not convened even once to focus solely on defending their rights.
Why? Because “no Jews, no news”.
In
2023, the Assembly passed more resolutions against Israel than
against Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Syria
combined. The Emergency Relief Coordinator said that Gaza’s
humanitarian situation is the worst he has ever seen. But didn’t
he see the killings by Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge and 400,000 Yemenis
murdered? The list of different UN bodies that have been weaponized
against Israel is endless. But of all, there is one that puts all
others to shame — the Human Rights Council. Of its 47 members,
only 17 actually uphold human rights. South Africa’s libelous case
at the International Court of Justice is the epitome of the UN’s
dystopian reality. The Convention on the Prevention of Genocide
adopted following the genocide of the Jewish people is now being
weaponized against the State while serving Hamas perpetrators.
Mr.
BENDJAMA (Algeria), taking the floor a second time, thanked
his colleagues for their substantive contributions regarding the
forced displacement of the Palestinian population. There is
consensus within the Council on the need to categorically reject any
project aiming to directly or indirectly bring about such
displacement — a rare and invaluable consensus that will
reverberate around the world. He stressed that, in his region, the
United Nations and the Council must restore their credibility and
rebuild trust.
PALESTINIAN
ISSUES | MIDDLE EAST | ISRAEL | STATE OF PALESTINE
~ENDS~
