Complete coverage of today’s meeting will be available after it’s conclusion.
Briefings
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that more than 1,200 people were killed and thousands were injured in the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on 7 October, and more than 14,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the start of the Israeli military operations. “In a matter of weeks, a far greater number of children have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza than the total number of children killed during any year, by any party to a conflict since I have been Secretary-General.” Security Council resolution 2712 (2023) demands that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians, especially children. It is clear that before the pause, there were serious violations, he said, adding that beyond the many civilians killed and wounded, 80 per cent of Gaza’s people have been forced from their homes. This growing population is being pushed towards an ever-smaller area of southern Gaza, but of course, “nowhere is safe in Gaza,” he said.
United Nations facilities are sheltering more than one million civilians seeking protection, he said, adding that 218 internally displaced people sheltering in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools have been killed. Moreover, 111 members of the UN family have been killed in Gaza – “the largest loss of personnel in the history of the Organization”. Underscoring the importance of protecting civilians, he said that the pause has enabled the Organization to enhance the delivery of aid into and across Gaza. For the first time since 7 October, an inter-agency convoy delivered food, water, medical supplies and shelter items to northern Gaza – specifically to four UNRWA shelters in the Jabalia camp. Expressing appreciation to Egypt for making this assistance possible, he said that the level of aid to Palestinians in Gaza remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs of more than two million people.
Recalling that resolution 2712 (2023) calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups”, he said that the arrangement that was announced on 22 November has so far led to the release of 60 hostages held by Hamas and other groups, with another 21 hostages released outside the arrangement. The arrangement also saw the release of 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails, mostly women and children. Going forward, Gaza needs food, water, fuel, blankets, medicines and health-care supplies. Calling on the international community not to look away from the epic humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, he called for a true humanitarian ceasefire. It is essential to move in a determined and irreversible way toward establishing a two-State solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. Failure to do that will condemn Palestinians, Israelis, the region and the world to a never-ending cycle of death and destruction, he said.
TOR WENNESLAND, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, acknowledged the efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States in facilitating the agreement to secure the release of hostages, to pause the fighting and to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees. “Such respite from the weeks of horror is long overdue.” In addition to the fighting in Gaza, there are also heightened tensions, intensive violence and widespread movement restrictions across the occupied West Bank. “The period has been marked by some of the most intensive Israeli operations in the West Bank since the second intifada”, including armed Palestinians using improvised explosive devises and Israeli security forces’ drone strikes. Settler violence has continued at high levels, driving mounting intensity, increased violence and Palestinian displacement. During this reporting period, 154 Palestinians, including 37 children, were killed, nearly all of them in the context of Israeli army operations, many involving armed exchanges with Palestinians. Israeli settlers have killed two Palestinians, while three Israelis, including two security forces personnel, were killed by Palestinians in attacks, he said.
“Amid the surging violence and extensive Israeli movement restrictions, the Palestinian Authority’s long-standing fiscal crisis has worsened significantly, as economic activity in the West Bank has ground to a halt, and the economy of Gaza has collapsed.” The 2 November decision by the Israeli security cabinet to deduct all funds designated for the Gaza Strip from the clearance revenues that Israel transfers to the Palestinian Authority further weakened that body’s revenues, impacting many critical services and the payment of public sector salaries. “The situation is boiling and getting worse rapidly,” he said, emphasizing that more must be done to stabilize the situation in the West Bank.
On potential regional escalation, he said that in Israel’s north, tensions along the Blue Line have calmed over the last few days, but the situation remains volatile. About 100,000 Israelis remain displaced in the north and 50,000 Lebanese are displaced from southern areas near the Blue Line. On the Golan, he said, firing from Syria towards the Israeli-occupied Golan and strikes by Israel against targets in Syria took place. He said missiles and drones were reportedly launched from Yemen towards Israel, most being intercepted but with a drone strike recorded on a school in Eilat on 9 November claimed by the Houthis. An Israeli-affiliated ship was seized by Houthi forces in the Red Sea on 19 November.
Without an effective political and security framework for when the fighting ends, it will be impossible to sustainably end the violence and shape a new reality, he continued. Over the coming weeks and months, the international community must engage with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and regional partners on constructive and practical political solutions. Terror attacks must not happen again, Gaza must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian State and there must be an end to the occupation and the realization of a two-State solution. Our past efforts have certainly not been enough, he said, adding that a new and different approach is needed now.
Statements
RIYAD AL-MALIKI, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, said that the current truce must become a ceasefire and the massacres cannot be allowed to resume. Recalling that over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, he said that no one and nowhere is safe in Gaza. “How many times can the world afford to fail the test of humanity in Gaza, in Palestine?” he wondered, adding that a solvable political conflict has been turned into a never-ending religious confrontation. In the General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Israel presented his vision for the new Middle East that wiped Palestine off the map – and now 1.7 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are displaced. Israel has turned Gaza into hell on Earth and the lives of Palestinian communities in the West Bank into a living hell. “The Palestinian people are here to stay, they are from this land and of this land and their destiny is to live in freedom and dignity on this land. Isn’t it time we found a way to live side by side?”
Turning to the situation in the occupied West Bank, he said that while the entire world rejects Israel’s colonial policies and violence, accountability cannot come from a Government whose agenda is the settlers’ agenda. “We need international protection and international action to end impunity so as to prevent the recurrence of these crimes that occur daily and in broad daylight,” he said, adding that what the Palestinians are now enduring is the result of the international community’s failure to provide such protection and accountability. The current Government in Israel, more than any other, considers Palestinian statehood to be a strategic threat, and its Prime Minister’s selling point to keep his post is that he is the best positioned to obstruct Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. “The man in charge of the assault against our people is one whose very political survival depends on prolonging the massacres and continuing to deny Palestinian rights,” he said. “His interests do not only conflict with our inalienable rights but with all those who seek peace and security for all.”
GILAD MENASHE ERDAN (Israel) recalled that on 29 November 1947, the United Nations adopted a partition plan and the establishment of the Jewish State. However, the Arab States rejected that resolution and tried to annihilate Israel. Today, 76 years later, history is repeating itself. A century ago, more than one million Jews lived in Arab countries, but now there are only a couple of thousands left. The genocidal ideology of Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, continues to poison many Arab minds and Israel is defending itself from this ideology. Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, the Houthis and the Ayatollahs in Iran are all driven by the same goal of Israel’s annihilation and the mass murder of Jews. “It’s time for the Security Council to address this evil, before another atrocity is committed,” he said.
Anyone who supports a ceasefire supports Hamas’s continued reign of terror in Gaza, he said, adding that it is paradoxical to call for both a ceasefire and peace. “Every call for a ceasefire means Hamas gets to live to see another day.” Iran, which publicly supports the 7 October massacre, armed, funded and trained Hamas, he said, adding: “This Council must also not remain silent about the Shiite elephant in the room.” Meanwhile, the United Nations has been co-opted by those that have no real interest in a solution. “Every UN body has been weaponized against Israel.” Reiterating that Israel strives for peace while the Palestinians strive for war, he said that his country has facilitated the establishment of field offices, opened humanitarian corridors and approved the entry of fuel. The only way to dramatically improve the situation is to support Israel’s mission to eradicate Hamas’s terror capabilities, he stated, adding that the war can end today if Hamas returns all hostages and turns in all terrorists that took part in the massacre. “Demand this from Hamas. This is the solution,” he said.
WANG YI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, Council President for November, speaking in his national capacity, reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire. While the current pause in fighting did not come at the earliest, it nevertheless shows that dialogue is the best way to save lives. Calling on the international community to work for a comprehensive ceasefire, he warned that the resumption of fighting will likely turn into a calamity that will devour the whole region. The past days of pause should not just be a hiatus before a new round of violence; rather, it should be the beginning of further diplomatic efforts for a lasting ceasefire. The protection of civilians is a red line in international law that cannot be crossed, he added, expressing concern about the collective punishment of people in Gaza and the forced transfer of Palestinian civilians. Stressing the importance of humanitarian access, he drew attention to China’s contributions to humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Justice demands the establishment of two States, he said, welcoming those Ministers attending today’s meeting as well as their mediation efforts.
MAURO VIEIRA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, underscoring that the Council has to be held accountable to its main obligation to uphold peace and security, observed it did not unite in the past and it does not seem to be ready to do so now. The violence in Gaza is at unacceptable levels – especially against children – and the plight of pregnant women is disturbing. The Council and the international community must join forces to end violence and provide humanitarian help to Gaza. He welcomed the release of hostages and the recent truce deal. It is a sign that agreement is possible, even when it seems unattainable. He also welcomed the extension of the truce and urged all parties to “cling to this spark of hope”. However, the Council must do more and unite for a more decisive course of action that can achieve gains, and sustainably address the crisis on the ground. Solidarity is the Council’s duty, not just a moral obligation, he stressed.
TARIQ AHMAD, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom, stressed every innocent civilian life lost, Palestinian or Israeli, was a tragedy. Thus, the ceasefire agreement should not be a one-off. He reported that, last week, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, where the Foreign Secretary announced another $38 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and underlined the need to find a long-term political solution to this conflict based on the two-State solution. Turning to the escalation in the West Bank, he called on Israel to hold accountable those responsible for the settler violence. Underscoring that country’s right to self-defence, he urged it to act in accordance with international law, pointing to the too many innocent civilians, including children, who have lost their lives. A negotiated settlement in line with Security Council resolutions is a vision that needs to be turned into a reality, he stressed, noting that while peace may seem difficult, it is achievable.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States), noting that the humanitarian pause would not have been possible without the leadership of Qatar, Egypt and Washington, D.C., spotlighted direct, personal presidential diplomacy. Reporting that her country is airlifting UN medical items, food aid and winter necessities, she said that it delivered 54,000 pounds of assistance to the Humanitarian Logistics Hub. In addition, during the first five days of the pause, 1,000 trucks and regular shipments of fuel were provided to UNRWA. She further expressed concern over the possible regional spillover of the conflict, condemning violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Stressing that an outcome that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would deny Palestinian civilians a chance to build something better, she emphasized: “We need a two-State solution where Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under a single Governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority.”
KHALIFA SHAHEEN AL MARAR, Minister for State of the United Arab Emirates, condemned Israel’s policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people, as well as attempts to displace them. Stating that the future and governance of Gaza must remain in the hands of Palestinians, he underscored that any plans that seek to separate the Gaza Strip from the State of Palestine are “unacceptable”. He also stressed the need for the international community to adopt unified rules condemning violations of international humanitarian law, including the indiscriminate bombing of civilians, civilian objects and UN facilities. “Applying double standards across these matters causes chaos and undermines our international order,” he observed. Turning to the truce recently reached by the parties, he underlined the need to build on this measure and, simultaneously, to work towards reaching an immediate, permanent ceasefire. Also urging persistent efforts to prevent the region from sliding into war, he underscored that ongoing skirmishes in Lebanon, the Syrian Golan and the Red Sea must cease.
THOMAS GÜRBER (Switzerland), while recognizing Israel’s right to ensure its security, underscored that respect for international humanitarian law is imperative. Civilians have paid the heaviest price since the start of these hostilities, including Israelis killed in the 7 October attacks, hostages taken, and the thousands of civilians killed in Gaza. Welcoming the release of hostages, he called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still being held. Further, calling for an extension to the humanitarian pause and the continuing, full implementation of resolution 2712 (2023), he voiced concern over increased settler violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “All violations of international law committed in Israel and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice,” he stressed. Finally urging a political solution to the conflict, he underscored the importance of Palestinian and Israeli women’s participation in the process, as well as the Council’s role in taking steps towards a two-State solution.
…
