Security Council’s 9687th Meeting: The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, open debate – Press release

17 July 2024

9687TH MEETING (AM & PM)

(Note:  A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting will be made available after its conclusion.)

The Security Council met today to hold an open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.  E. Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, briefed the Council.

The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question

Briefing

COURTENAY RATTRAY, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres.  Last December, the hostilities in Gaza and Israel created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma, leading to the exceptional invocation of Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations by the UN chief.  Over 38,000 Palestinians have been reported killed, with some 87,000 injured and thousands missing, including many women and children, he said. Over 1,500 Israelis and foreign nationals have been reported killed, with more than 7,000 injured and 125 hostages still held in Gaza.  Today, “the humanitarian support system in Gaza is close to total collapse,” he said, also warning that “there is a complete breakdown of public order, and the spectre of further regional spillover is increasing by the day, as exchanges of fire across the Blue Line between Hizbullah and Israel continue”.  “Nothing can justify the 7 October 2023 horrific acts of terror by Hamas and other armed groups and the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he stressed.

He noted that, in recent weeks, Israeli military operations and fighting intensified across Gaza while rockets continue to be launched by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza towards Israeli population centres.  Rafah is in ruins.  Nowhere in Gaza is safe, with 2 million people — nearly the Strip’s entire population — displaced.  Almost half a million people face acute food insecurity.  Humanitarian convoys are frequently unable to collect and distribute life-saving goods in safety as attacks against them and strikes on or near health and humanitarian facilities continue.  Despite ongoing dialogue with Israeli authorities and some improvements, much more is needed.  “It is long past time for a safe enabling environment for effective humanitarian operations in Gaza, in line with international humanitarian law,” he appealed.

Turning attention to the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, he noted that between 7 October 2023 and 8 July 2024, 553 Palestinians — including 131 children — were killed.  During the same period, 22 Israelis, including 9 members of Israeli forces, were killed by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.  Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet reportedly approved a series of punitive steps against the Palestinian Authority, including the legalization of five Israeli outposts, the advancement of thousands of settlement housing units, and demolitions in parts of Area B in the West Bank.  On a positive note, Israel’s finance minister lifted the suspension of revenue transfers to the Palestinian Authority and also renewed the letter of indemnity for Israeli correspondent banking with Palestinian banks.  Both measures are critical for Palestinian fiscal stability, but much more is required.

“Recent developments are driving a stake through the heart of any prospect for a two-State solution,” he cautioned, citing Israel’s steps to alter the geography of the occupied West Bank, such as the issuance of two military orders in May to transfer powers to a civilian deputy. This move is a further step towards extending Israeli sovereignty over this occupied territory.  If left unaddressed, these measures risk causing irreparable damage.  “We must change course,” he stressed, urging all settlement activities to cease immediately.  Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and a key obstacle to peace.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations is sparing no effort to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, he emphasized.  He then called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.  With the tireless efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States, negotiations to formulate a deal for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire continue with some reported progress.  “The parties must reach such a deal now,” he urged.  International support for these efforts is critical, particularly for the essential work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  “This terrible war must end,” he said, calling for a refocus on finding a political solution that will end the occupation and resolve the conflict. Ensuring the restoration of governance in Gaza under a single, legitimate Palestinian government is also essential.  The United Nations will continue to support all such efforts.

Statements

RIYAD H. MANSOUR, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, noting that trees are often planted by those who know they will never sit in its shade, said the international law-based order is similar:  it was put in place by those who endured the worst tragedies, tree by tree, to provide shade to future generations.  “Israel has uprooted every one of those trees in Gaza,” he said, noting that it has killed those most entitled to protection — civilians, including children, humanitarians, doctors and journalists.  Its own soldiers do not hesitate to share recordings of their crimes with the world.  “What is happening in Gaza will go down as the most documented genocide in history,” he said, adding that Israel has also manufactured a humanitarian catastrophe with famine at its core, wielding starvation, dehydration and the spread of diseases as the ultimate weapons.  “Two million people, who were subjected to a 17-year old blockade are now confronted with a hermetic siege, dying of hunger and disease, while food and medicine are available only meters away,” he said.

Rejecting Israel’s use of security as a pretext for killing Palestinians, he said security cannot be achieved through injustice.  Starting with the Nakba of 1948, which attempted to uproot an entire people, he pointed out, successive Israeli Governments have tried to get rid of the Palestinian problem through occupation, invasion and blockading.  They managed to avoid the only solution possible:  freedom for the Palestinian people and peace for all.  “There is a reason Israel behaves this way,” he said, adding that everything in its history has convinced the country it will get away with it.  It is betting this time will be no exception, he pointed out.  Recalling Council resolution 2735 (2024), which was adopted to achieve an immediate ceasefire, he noted that it was meant to lead to the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides, a surge in humanitarian aid and regional de-escalation.  “But, Netanyahu does not care about Palestinian civilian lives or even the hostages’ lives,” he only cares about his own political survival, he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Although “there is more convergence on the Palestine question than on any other matter on the international agenda”, he said, “one isolated, fanatic Government” is rejecting this consensus and attacking the international law-based order, accusing its representatives of terrorism and antisemitism.  “Until when will we pretend this Government is anything else than what it proclaims to be?”, he asked.  Imagining a parallel world in which the international community upheld the rules, stopped the war and ensured safety for all Palestinian and Israeli civilians, he called on it to “strengthen those who seek peace rather than arm those who seek extermination” and recognize the Palestinian State rather than witness the destruction of the two-State solution.  Noting that, in two days, the “highest judicial body on earth” will render its authoritative opinion on the question of Palestine, he said this expression of the law should serve as the basis for collective action.  “As all your nations refuse to forego their rights, the Palestinian people will never accept to relinquish theirs,” he underscored.

The representative of Israel said that “Iran has been obsessed with killing Jews everywhere” and is exporting its bloodshed and destruction to all corners of the region.  However, instead of focusing on the cause, the Council focuses on the symptom of the situation in the Middle East, he observed, adding that the true reason for the devastation and bloodshed is “never to be named”.  Practising such “wilful blindness”, this Council regularly ignores the issue, preferring to focus on Israel.  Iran is failing its people and has subjugated its citizens since 1979 when it launched a revolution that only brought destruction.  The people of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen have all suffered due to Iran’s attempts to inflame the region.  Despite chanting “death to Israel”, Iran’s leaders still receive the red-carpet treatment at the Council, he said, noting that, recently, that country launched over 350 missiles and drones at Israel.  “It has taken its annihilationist obsession against Israel to a whole new level,” with a digital countdown clock in Tehran showing how many days remain until the destruction of Israel by the year 2040.  “Where is the outrage?”, he asked, warning that Iran is weeks from having enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear bomb.

“If we reach a situation of full-scale war in Lebanon, it is only because Hizbullah has shot thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians with Iran’s support and funding,” he asserted, urging the Council to take immediate action. Moreover, Iran has supplied military equipment to be used against Ukraine, he pointed out, citing the country as “the greatest threat to global security”.  Stressing that the war in Gaza will not end until all hostages are released, he said that Hamas hide themselves in UNRWA schools.  Exporting its destruction to all corners of the region, Tehran is much bigger and more powerful than Da’esh, with near-nuclear-weapon capabilities.  “Its genocidal ambitions are not just a missing element in any conversation on Gaza, but the central element,” he emphasized, adding that “without taking meaningful action on Iran, the death and bloodshed will only spread”.

SERGEY V. LAVROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Council President for July, spoke in his national capacity to recall his country’s historical support for both Israel and Palestine and stress the importance of implementing relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council.  However, he said that the “colonial and mandate-based past of the Middle East and North Africa remains a burden on the countries of the region” — a situation “made worse by the West’s new geopolitical experiments”.  Countries of the region should independently determine their own path towards strengthened sovereignty, independence and socioeconomic development.  Stressing, however, that the most critical and urgent issue today is the Palestinian one, he recalled the Council’s adopted resolutions and observed that “the ongoing bloodshed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory only reaffirms that all of these decisions have remained on paper”.  He also pointed out that 10 months of conflict in Gaza “have yielded twice as many civilian casualties as 10 years of the conflict in Ukraine”.  Adding that “the current explosion of violence in the Middle East is largely a consequence of US policy in the region”, he called for a permanent ceasefire, sufficient humanitarian access to all in need and an immediate cessation of unlawful settlement activity.  “Today, we all have a responsibility to stop the unfolding human tragedy,” he urged.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS BRÜLHART, Special Envoy on the Middle East and North Africa of Switzerland, emphasized that the lack of implementation of the four Council resolutions on the situation since 7 October 2023 is “unacceptable” and urged intensified efforts to break the spiral of violence and return to “the principles of humanity that have been flouted for too long in this conflict”.  He also called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate, unconditional release of the hostages, encouraging the parties to conclude and implement an agreement to this effect as quickly as possible.  Safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access must be provided through all possible crossing points throughout the Gaza Strip.  A ceasefire in Gaza will make a major contribution to regional de-escalation.  But, that is “not enough”, he said, calling for a return to the path of peace and respect for international law in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.  To this end, Israel must refrain from measures to introduce demographic and administrative changes in the occupied territory.  “The way forward begins with respect for international law and dialogue between the parties to the conflict, the States of the region, the members of this Council and other key players,” he said.

The representative of the United States, spotlighting the efforts of her country, Qatar, Egypt and other partners to bring about an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and a surge aid to Palestinians in need, said “there has been progress”.  The Council must keep pressure on Hamas to accept the deal and begin implementing it without delay, she said, adding that Israel must take additional immediate steps to eliminate barriers to the delivery of aid at scale.  “Palestinian civilians are living in hell over and over,” she said, noting the recent Israel Defense Forces strike on a UN-supported school.  She also voiced concern about the Houthi attacks on commercial and merchant vessels in the Red Sea, as well as the diplomatic, private sector and other personnel detained by them.  “We must not forget about the situation in the West Bank,” she added, noting the uptick in deadly violence against Palestinian civilians by violent extremist settlers.  Recalling her country’s latest round of designations naming three Israeli individuals and five entities connected to violence in the West Bank, she also expressed concern about Israel’s recent announcement expanding settlements.

The representative of Guyana said that “the silence has been deafening on a possible solution to end the war in Gaza”, with the multilayered catastrophe worsening with each passing day.  “Yet, even in their seemingly unending suffering, Palestinians look to the United Nations to bring this catastrophe to an end,” she said, underscoring the need to advance the peace process.  “Nine months of Israel’s barbaric war on Gaza has birthed a severely mutilated population, driven from corner to corner of the Strip while bombs incessantly rain down on their severely weakened bodies,” she said, adding that bombs, starvation, inadequate health care and essential goods and services have seen the civilian population robbed of everything necessary for their survival.  Also, attacks against refugee camps — including Al Mawasi, Bureij and Nuseirat — have intensified.  “Yet, we hear that a ceasefire agreement cannot be reached due to red lines,” she said, asking:  “What red lines are there that allow for the continuous killing of women and children, and the bombing of schools, refugee camps and hospitals?”

The representative of China said that the situation in Gaza deteriorates as “the red lines of international law and international humanitarian law have been breached time and again”.  The international community must promote a ceasefire to save lives and “alleviate the ongoing disaster without delay”, he stressed, recalling the United States’ repeated claim during the adoption of resolution 2735 (2024) that Israel had accepted the agreement.  However, more than a month later, Israeli military operations in Gaza continue.  “At this moment, what Gaza needs is a hope for peace,” he said.  Israel must immediately cease all military operations in Gaza and stop the collective punishment of its people, and countries with influence should push the parties to implement relevant Council resolutions. Adding that hunger should not be weaponized — nor humanitarian issues politicized — he said that the closure of the floating pier made clear that land transport routes are the most effective means to provide humanitarian access at scale.

The representative of the United Kingdom said that Keir Starmer, her country’s new Prime Minister, set out the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, immediate release of all hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza.  In this vein, she welcomed the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States. “The deal on the table — endorsed by this Council in resolution 2735 (2024) — is the best chance to secure this,” she said, urging both sides to show flexibility in negotiations and demonstrate a clear and firm commitment to ensure proper implementation of the deal. She then called on Israel to protect civilians, allow unfettered aid into Gaza and ensure the UN and humanitarian actors have the access and equipment necessary to safely get aid to those in need. She rejected Israel’s declarations of 2,357 hectares of land in the West Bank as “State lands” — the largest such action since the Oslo Accords.  Peace will only be sustainable if both sides recommit themselves to a two-State solution.  The world needs a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State, she asserted.

The representative of Republic of Korea, calling on Hamas to accept the ceasefire deal without further delay, expressed concern about the Israeli strike on a so-called “safe zone”, reportedly killing more than 90 Palestinians.  This demonstrates once again that “nowhere in Gaza is safe”, he said, adding that “Israel is not doing what it describes as ‘everything’ to protect civilians”.  Hospitals, schools, places of worship and humanitarian facilities must not be targeted, he added, especially since such facilities are serving as shelters for helpless civilians, many of whom have been forcibly displaced multiple times due to Israel’s recurrent evacuation orders.  Hamas must seize endangering civilians by using densely populated areas in Gaza as bases to launch rockets.  “It is particularly alarming that Israel has seized more land in the West Bank so far this year than in the past 20 years combined,” he said, also expressing concern about the situation across the Blue Line and the daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hizbullah.

The representative of Algeria said that “the international community appears powerless to stop the relentless killing machine that targets innocent people in the streets of Gaza”.  The Israeli occupying forces displace Palestinians from their homes, destroy their communities and inflict death with impunity.  “These people thrive on Palestinian suffering and violate international law and humanitarian norms, using aid as a tool for pressure and bargaining,” he observed.  As a result, Palestinians now face famine — “this is a war crime,” he asserted, urging the Council to take the necessary steps, as outlined in resolution 2417 (2018).  The provisional measures of the International Court of Justice were clear:  the occupation authorities must immediately provide essential services and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Instead, they have responded with more obstacles, targeting aid trucks and preventing UNRWA from carrying out its vital work.  The Rafah crossing — which the Court ordered to remain open — has been destroyed.  Underscoring the need to uphold the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, he stated:  “The time for unity is now.”

The representative of Sierra Leone observed that “nine months on, the narratives from the Gaza Strip remain horrendous”, as parties to the conflict refuse to implement Council resolutions, comply with binding orders from the International Court of Justice or respect their obligations under international law.  Recalling that his delegation joined others in good faith to vote in favour of resolution 2735 (2024) “on the assurance that a deal has been reached”, he noted that, since that adoption on 10 June, about 1,300 more Palestinians have been killed and protected objects have been targeted by missile strikes.  “There aren’t, and there will never be, any winners in this Israel-Palestine conflict,” he stressed, adding that continuation of the war in Gaza “risks breeding a generation that is traumatized, uneducated, maimed, orphaned, homeless and — more dangerously — aggrieved”. Changing this narrative demands collective, immediate action to secure lasting peace, end impunity and ensure accountability for atrocity crimes committed during the conflict.

The representative of Slovenia said that “neither Hamas nor Israel cares about civilians,” noting that the former is hiding among the camps for internally displaced persons and thus endangers the lives of their fellow Palestinians.  The latter shows complete disregard for the suffering of civilians in pursuing Hamas fighters.  Proposing a three-step approach to be taken by the Council, he said that the first is an immediate ceasefire.  Council resolutions and International Court of Justice orders on provisional measures must be fully implemented.  The second step should be a renewed political process leading to a two-State solution. Past and existing frameworks are clearly not functioning.  Only a coherent approach backed by strong political will can provide a clear path forward.  An international peace conference under the UN auspices would provide a platform for a revitalized exchange.  The third step is rebuilding, as in Gaza.  “For this to happen, we need a strong Palestinian Authority able to carry out its internal reform processes,” he said.

The representative of Japan, highlighting the killing of at least 90 people in the air strike on a so-called “safe zone” and the destruction of UNRWA headquarters, said “these are just two notable examples of the many horrors happening regularly on the ground”.  Calling on Hamas to stop using civilians as human shields, he expressed concern about the nearly 2 million internally displaced Palestinians, many displaced multiple times, with little to no access to food, water, medicine and other basics.  It is alarming to see yet another evacuation order by Israel for Khan Younis and Gaza City.  Acknowledging Israel’s cooperation with humanitarian agencies, he called for more, including effective deconfliction mechanisms, reopening the Rafah crossing, full use of Ashdod Port and humanitarian access.  Also expressing concern about Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank, he took note of the country’s latest transfers of parts of clearance revenues to the Palestinian Authority and urged it to release all withheld revenues.

The representative of Mozambique, voicing concern over the aggravation of the already dramatic situation in Gaza and the region, stated:  “Unfortunately, we see no progress leading to a ceasefire and the release of hostages on the horizon.”  A deplorable vivid example is the recent attacks on Gaza by the Israeli armed forces in which civilians, medical personnel, humanitarian workers and journalists have been killed.  Also, reports on the discovery of five mass graves where bodies of people were exhumed at Nasser and Al Shifa Hospitals are alarming, he said, calling for the creation of an international, independent and impartial investigation team to bring to light this barbaric act.  Urgent actions must be taken for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to millions of Palestinians in need.  He cautioned that the situation on the ground is not improving, as attacks continue to cause civilian deaths, forced displacement and aggravation of the dire humanitarian situation of Palestinians.

The representative of Malta, recalling that her delegation has “unfailingly” called for a ceasefire in Gaza since 7 October 2023, called on Hamas and Israel to accept and implement the ceasefire proposal outlined in resolution 2735 (2024).  Spotlighting Israel’s recent order for the forced displacement of all Palestinians from Gaza City, she stressed that recurring displacement exacerbates the dangers Palestinians face and forces them into smaller areas, where their safety — “even in supposedly designated humanitarian zones” — cannot be guaranteed. She also expressed concern over the war’s effect on women and children, underscoring that Israel’s bombing of schools and hospitals is “unconscionable”.  Further, a decimated health-care system, persistent food insecurity and lack of access to clean water put children, newborns and pregnant women in significant peril — contrary to their unique protections under international law. While observing that challenges in ensuring peace for Israelis and Palestinians persist, she urged:  “But, we must not let this extinguish all hope.”

The representative of Ecuador recalled that the Council adopted resolution 2735 (2024) in June to support a ceasefire proposal. The deal is still under negotiation despite the parties being urged to accept and implement it without delay or conditions.  “If an agreement had already been reached, hostilities would have stopped, hostages would have been released, humanitarian aid could have been delivered in a safe, sufficient and timely manner, and we would not be deploring still more victims,” he said. Unfortunately, it is not the case, he said, exhorting the parties to exhibit their goodwill and flexibility to finally end the violence and start down the road towards peaceful coexistence.  However, this road to peaceful coexistence is threatened not only by the war in Gaza, but also by Israel’s acts undermining the viability of a two-State solution, such as the legalization of settlements in the West Bank or the hobbling of the finance and functioning of the Palestinian Authority.  He then called for full respect and implementation of resolution 2334 (2016) and other relevant Council decisions.

The representative of France, stressing the need to reach agreement on a ceasefire, said Council resolutions must be fully implemented.  Expressing solidarity with the Israeli people and outrage regarding the Israeli strikes on Al-Mawasi camp and an UNRWA school, he said that country must uphold international law.  Settlement activity must come to an end, he stressed, adding that settlers must be held accountable.  Reaffirming support for a political solution, he also expressed concern about the ongoing clashes between Israel and Lebanon, and called for restraint from both parties.  The implementation of Council resolution 1701 (2006) is crucial for the security of both countries.  A diplomatic solution is essential, he said, also calling on the Houthis to cease their attacks on the Red Sea.  Iran, which is financing the Houthis, must stop its destabilizing actions, he said, calling for the release of all personnel detained by the Houthis.

ALI BAGHERI, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran, said that over the past 285 days, the Israeli regime has been committing extensive international crimes in Gaza.  In this deadly campaign of brutality and terror, about 20 people are killed or injured every hour.  Israel has destroyed over 80 per cent of residential areas and all infrastructure, including hospitals, mosques, churches, educational centres and historical sites in Gaza.  Further, it has weaponized starvation as a means of war by blocking aid routes.  The bombing of refugee camps in Rafah and attacking displaced people in Khan Yunis are just two examples of these recent inhumane crimes.  Despite the global condemnation of its genocide and war crimes, Israel continues its brutal crimes against Palestine with full impunity.

Recently, “Israel’s warmongering leaders have been under the illusion that expanding the war to Lebanon can save them from the quagmire of Gaza”, he said, noting that this is a dangerous miscalculation that threatens to spiral an already chaotic situation out of control.  “I would like to strongly warn against any adventurous action by this rogue regime and its consequences,” he stated, stressing that any aggression against Lebanon will be met with a decisive response from the international community, the nations of the region and the resistance groups.  He further emphasized that the responsibility of the United States — as the strategic ally and main supporter of the regime in the region — cannot be denied in the face of any potential aggression by the regime against Lebanon.  Accordingly, he urged the Council to compel the Israeli regime to immediately and unconditionally end genocide and aggression against Gaza, implement a permanent ceasefire and open border crossings for the rapid and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.  Israel must also withdraw from all occupied Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories and refrain from any military attacks on Lebanon or other countries in the region, he asserted.

ABDULLATIF BIN RASHID AL ZAYANI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, said that, as the war on the Gaza Strip continues, the entire Middle East “stands at a crossroads”.  One path leads to expanded conflict across the region that draws State and non-State actors into destruction, misery and wasted potential. The other calls for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza — not just an immediate ceasefire, the provision of humanitarian assistance and the release of hostages and detainees, but also a solution that accounts for other essential matters, such as reconstruction, administrative governance and post-ceasefire security arrangements. Spotlighting the thirty-third Arab Summit held in Bahrain in May, he said this event “proved beyond any doubt” that Arab States “collectively adopted the path of a just and lasting peace as an irreplaceable strategic option” for achieving humanitarian objectives in the “battle for peace”.  He also recalled that the Summit called for the convening of an international conference for peace in the Middle East to resolve the Palestinian issue based on a two-State solution, expressing his country’s readiness to host such an event. He added a call on the Council and the international community “to work seriously and effectively with Arab States to end this long-standing conflict and deliver a better future for the Middle East region and their peoples”.

ABDALLAH BOU HABIB, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, warned of the danger of the war expanding into his country, citing dozens of statements by senior Israeli officials threatening to burn his nation and “blow it back to the Stone Age”.  He therefore renewed his warning of miscalculation, brinkmanship and dragging the entire region towards an explosive situation.  He also urged efforts to avoid falling into the trap of Israeli recklessness, which seeks to continue the war and expand its geographical scope.  That would shake the entire Middle East and lead to a new displacement crisis, from which Europe will not be spared.  For Lebanon, “the United Nations will remain the line of defence that shelters us and the last refuge from the logic of violence and occupation today”.

Recalling the 23 January Council meeting, he said that Lebanon put forward an integrated framework for sustainable calm on its southern border. The framework calls for a ceasefire to fully implement Council resolution 1701 (2006), which has proven its ability to establish relative stability in southern Lebanon since the end of the July 2006 war.  It also demands a definitive cessation of Israeli violations by air, land and sea of Lebanon’s sovereignty and for support by the UN and friendly countries to the Lebanese Government to deploy its army south of the Litani River.  It also calls for marking Lebanon’s internationally recognized borders of 1923, which has been stressed in the Lebanese-Israeli armistice agreement signed in 1949.  As such, Israel should withdraw from all Lebanese territory.  The framework also calls for commitment to supporting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces in southern Lebanon as it has been a factor for calm and stability in the region, he said, noting that his country submitted a request for the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate without any modification to the current mandate.

ELTAHER SALEM ELBAOUR, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Libya, condemning the massacres being committed on innocent civilians on the pretext of targeting Hamas, said the various adopted resolutions continue to be “words on paper”.  The international community is clearly watching a genocide, he said, adding that the systematic violations on the Palestinian people have gone beyond all international norms and “even the law of the jungle”.  Noting that some members of the international community are furnishing the occupying entity with arms, he added that the absence of political will has made it impossible to stop this bloodshed.  His country joined South Africa in the lawsuit it brought to the International Court of Justice, he said, adding that the Palestinian people have every right to defend themselves.  “Their cause is just,” he underscored, and recalling the many attempts at reaching a settlement to this issue, he stressed that a solution can only be achieved by dealing with the root causes and by acknowledging the Palestinian people’s rights, including the right to establish an independent State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Reaffirming support for the Palestinian State’s right to full membership in the United Nations, he said that is a step towards a just solution.

ABDULLAH ALI A. AL-YAHYA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, said Gaza has turned into a bleak landscape of destruction, with 40,000 deaths, mostly women and children.  The total number of victims under the rubble is unknown, he added. “Israel has turned schools into battlefields and hospitals into landscapes of pain and powerlessness,” he said.  Despite the efforts to bring an end to these attacks, Israel continues to cut lives short without any distinction.  “These operations have no military objectives, but aim to systematically destroy and terrorize Palestinians,” he asserted, adding that the Israeli authorities are committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.  Calling for unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance across Gaza, he underlined the essential role of UNRWA in supporting the Palestinian people in their darkest hour.  He further warned about double standards and expressed support for all initiatives to reach a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question.

RUSS JALICHANDRA, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, repeating a call for an immediate ceasefire, expressed concern over the risk that the conflict will assume “a more regional dimension”.  The Council must prevent this, and he urged all parties to implement resolution 2735 (2024) – “a major step forward” – as well as other relevant Council resolutions.  All sides must also comply with their international law obligations, including protecting civilian populations and objects and ensuring the provision of urgently needed basic humanitarian services and assistance.  Further, UN staff and premises must be protected, and all remaining hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally — “including Thai nationals”, he added.  Also urging the international community to resume or continue support for UNRWA, he reported that his country has recently provided an additional $50,000 to the Agency’s flash appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory that covers the April- December period.  Thailand will also donate another $100,000 to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to support humanitarian assistance for Palestinian refugees.  “Thailand hopes that our contributions will help enable UNRWA to continue its mandate,” he said.