Assalam alaikum.

Foreign Minister Safady, thank you for your warm welcome.  It’s good to be back in Jordan, especially at such a critical time for the region and for the world. 

When I see Jordan, I see solidarity in action.

I see it in the words and deeds of His Majesty King Abdullah – a global champion for peace.

And I see it in the spirit of the people of Jordan and your enormous compassion towards those fleeing upheaval. 

Jordan is home to the largest number of Palestine refugees.  I visited a camp earlier today and commend Jordan for your pivotal advocacy for the vital work of UNRWA. 

You have also opened your hearts and doors to many others, including refugees from Syria.  And I urge the international community to support Jordan as it supports millions of people in need.

It is very worrying the reduction of funding in relation to refugee programmes in Jordan and in other parts of the world.

Jordan’s spirit of solidarity is precisely what brings me here once again. 

I am on my annual solidarity mission during the holy month of Ramadan where I visit and fast with Muslim communities in distress.

Ramadan is meant to be a period of celebration – but not this year. 

Hearts are heavy in the region – and indeed around the world – from the unprecedented and ongoing devastation in Gaza, as well as rising violence in the occupied West Bank.

I commend Jordan for your support for de-escalation, including particularly, your very important role in East Jerusalem.

And I salute Jordan for your relentless efforts to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through the personal efforts and wisdom of His Majesty.

For my part, I will keep pushing for the removal of all obstacles to life-saving aid, for more access and more entry points. 

But we must face facts. 

There will be no sustainable humanitarian solution with an ongoing war as bloody as this. 

Let me repeat: nothing justifies the abhorrent October 7 attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas – and nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

The effective delivery of humanitarian aid requires the immediate delivery of a humanitarian ceasefire.

The need is urgent.

I was at the Rafah border crossing this weekend. 

I met with injured Palestinian civilians and heard directly from our frontline humanitarian colleagues.

They are veterans of some of the worst humanitarian crises in recent decades. 

They have seen it all. 

And yet, without exception, they told me they have never seen anything as horrible as what is happening in Gaza today. 

The scale and speed of the death and destruction are on an entirely different level. 

And now starvation is bearing down on Palestinians in Gaza. 

There is a growing consciousness around the world that all of this must stop.

The fighting must end now, the hostages must be released now, and we must not lose sight of the big picture.

A lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only come through a two-State solution.

Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for a fully independent, viable and sovereign State realized, in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements.

We know where the alternative would lead. 

To indefinitely prolonging a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.

To exacerbating polarization.

To emboldening extremists everywhere.   

Those standing in the way of a two-state solution have an obligation to state clearly what is the alternative they want.

How would the future look with such a large number of Palestinians inside without any real sense of freedom, of rights and of dignity?  

This would be inconceivable. 

The two-State solution is the only way to address the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.

I know it is easy to be cynical in today’s world.  But that’s a luxury we cannot afford.

Cynicism is a form of surrender to the prevailing assumptions of the moment. 

It is a refuge for those too weak, too narrow, too timid to imagine a better future.

When things are difficult, we must try even harder.

I will keep pushing for peace inspired by your example.

And once again, dear Foreign Minister, and dear friends, thank you and thank the government and people of Jordan for leading the way to solidarity and peace.

Question [from Arabic]: What happened in the north of Gaza and the blockade of aid, and threats to invade Rafah, look at this situation in relieving the suffering of the people, especially with the semi-famine situation that is threatening innocent Palestinians?

Secretary-General: First of all, in relation to the northern part of Gaza, it is absolutely essential to have a massive supply of humanitarian aid, now.

And this means opening more entry points. These means a concentration of efforts of all entities without obstacles, without limitations from the Israeli side, in order to be able to rescue the people of northern Gaza of an imminent risk of famine. Many children are already today dying of hunger.

Finally, in relation to the south, to Rafah, our position has been very clear: we consider that a ground offensive against Rafah could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Question [from Arabic]: Israel has already prevented UNRWA from entering aid to the north of Gaza which is in distress, and they are provoking against UNRWA and accusing them of working for Hamas. Is there a clear stance, an international stance to respond to this, and how do you evaluate the situation in northern Gaza?

Secretary-General: The decision not to allow UNRWA’s convoys to go to northern Gaza, where we have a dramatic starvation situation, is totally unacceptable. And those that took that decision must assume the responsibility, facing history of the consequences of the decision in relation to the dramatic situation of the people in northern Gaza, where as I mentioned, we have already children dying of hunger.

Question: Today, the Security Council is held hostage by a couple of members. How will the UN remedy the diminished credibility and what are the challenges to the resolution of the conflict?

Secretary-General: I think it's necessary to recognize that the United Nations is a complex organization. In the United Nations you have humanitarian agencies that are today working in Gaza with an extreme courage.
We have already 171 workers, staff members of UNRWA that were killed in Gaza; and they are United Nations. So, you have in the United Nations extraordinary examples of courage and generosity and solidarity, with people suffering.

The United Nations is also the General Assembly that has assumed clear positions in relation to this conflict.

The United Nations is the Secretary-General, who has been assuming, on behalf of the Secretariat, clear positions in relation to this conflict.

And the United Nations is also the Security Council. And indeed, the Security Council today is victim of the enormous geopolitical divides in the world; with the superpowers at odds with each other, and creating a situation in which it's very difficult to find consensus in relation to any of the difficult crises we are facing in the world, not only in relation to Gaza. And that is why it is so important that finally the Security Council became able to approve a resolution asking for a ceasefire in Gaza.

But at the same time, it is our duty to do everything to mobilize the whole of the international community, and I see a consensus emerging in the international community, even in countries that are friends and allies of Israel;

I see a consensus emerging that this war must stop.

I see a consensus emerging that any ground offensive against Rafah would lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

I see a consensus emerging in the international community to tell Israel that fully recognizing the grievances caused by the horrific attacks of Hamas on 7 October, fully recognizing the drama of the hostages that need to be immediately and unconditionally released.

Fully recognizing those aspects, nothing can justify this collective punishment of the Palestinian people that is causing such an immense tragedy in Gaza.