Security Council debates Gaza crisis, as human suffering continues unabated
Remarks to Ambassadors on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General António GuterresChief Cabinet Secretary Courtenay Rattray warned that beyond the dire situation in the war-torn region, a specter spreading across the region was growing.
End of collective punishment
Reiterating his strong condemnation of the brutal attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7 last year, Mr. Rattray stressed that nothing can justify collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
He noted that in recent weeks, Israeli military operations and fighting have increased across Gaza, while Palestinian armed groups continue to launch rockets from the enclave towards Israeli towns and cities.
“Rafah is in ruins – and the Rafah border crossing remains closedfurther impeding humanitarian operations. Nearly two million people have been displaced – almost the entire population of Gaza – and many of them have been displaced multiple times,” he said.
“Nowhere in Gaza is safe“, he stressed.
Courtenay Rattray, Chief of Staff of the United Nations Secretary-General, speaks at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza.
Occupied West Bank
Mr. Rattray also expressed deep concern about the situation in the occupied West Bank, amid escalating violence between Israeli security forces, settlers and Palestinian militants.
Between October 7, 2023 and July 8, 553 Palestinians, including 131 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem – the majority in the context of Israeli security operations. During the same period, 22 Israelis, including nine members of the Israeli forces, were killed by Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories.
Israeli administrative and legal steps are also “constantly changing” the geography of the occupied West Bank, Mr Rattray said.
“The confiscation of large plots of land in strategic areas and changes in planning, land management and governance are expected to significantly accelerated settlement expansion“, he added.
Irreparable damage
He also informed ambassadors of the issuance of two military orders in late May, the transfer of power and the appointment of a civilian deputy in Israel’s Civil Administration.
“This move is another important step in the ongoing transition of power over many aspects of daily life in the occupied West Bank,” he said.
“If left unaddressed, these measures risk causing irreparable damage.…we must change course. All settlement activity must cease immediately. Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace.”
The war must end
While noting that the United Nations continues to work to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, Chief Cabinet Secretary Rattray reiterated the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
“Such an agreement must be reached now…and this terrible war must end.“, he stressed.
Palestine: End Israeli Occupation Now
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Palestinian Observer Statesaid that over the past several months, Israel has created a humanitarian disaster, with hunger at its core, using hunger, dehydration and the spread of disease as “the ultimate weapon”.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, speaks at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza.
“Two million people who have endured a 17-year blockade are now facing a closed siege, dying of hunger and disease while food and medicine are just metres away,” he said, adding that until now, Israel had “pretended” that the blockade, walls and military rule were for security.
Stressing that there is a reason why Israel behaves this way, he said that “everything in their history shows they will get away with it. They bet that this time will not be the exception. But this time must be the exception, and change must begin now.”
Global consensus has emerged
While Security Council adopted child Resolution 2735 in June to achieve an immediate ceasefire leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities, he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does not care about the lives of Palestinian civilians or even the lives of hostages” nor about international law or human dignity, and is only concerned with his own political survival.
However, in recent weeks, there has been a global consensus in support of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and a two-state solution – in accordance with UN resolutions and international law, he said, citing International Court of Justice (International Court of Justice) lawsuits against Israel.
“The Palestinian issue enjoys more consensus than any other issue on the international agenda,” he added.
Israel: Release the hostages now
Gilad Erdan, Ambassador of Israel and Permanent Representativestressed the continued suffering of the hostages, demanding their immediate release.
Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, speaks at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza.
“We dare not think of the horrors they are going through right now… I beg you to look into their eyes and see the brutality that Hamas is inflicting on them,” he told the ambassadors.
“The hostage situation alone is a crime against humanity,” he stressed, adding that the war would not end until the hostages were released and that Israel “will not leave a single hostage behind.”
Threats to Israel
He also called on the Security Council to pay attention to the crisis in the wider Middle East region, accusing Iran of threatening peace and stability.
“If you choose to address this issue properly, we can improve the chances of peace and security in the region. The choice is urgent, and the choice is yours,” he said.
Iran is not just the “missing element” in any discussion about Gaza, he added, but the “central element”.
“Without meaningful action against Iran, the death and bloodshed will increase and spread. This is the reality of a multi-front war against the Jewish state,” he said.
Russia: Failed US policy has caused ‘explosion of violence’
Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, who held the presidency of the Council in July, speaking in his national capacity that “today, Gaza is in ruins”, once again becoming the only conflict zone in the world where people are not even allowed to flee due to closed borders.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.
Stressing that the current “unprecedented outbreak of violence in the Middle East” is largely a consequence of the failed US policy in the region, he said that by providing diplomatic cover for Israel’s actions, supplying weapons and ammunition, “Washington has become a direct participant in the conflict, as in the case of the situation in Ukraine; if this support stops, the bloodshed will stop.”
UNRWA is indispensable
Expressing Russia’s support for a lasting and broad ceasefire that would allow the release of 120 Israeli hostages and some 9,500 Palestinians arbitrarily detained since October 7, he called for safe and full humanitarian access to all victims and those in need, reaffirming the main task of the UNRWA is “a unique structure to provide support to the Palestinian people”.
“Today, we all have a responsibility to prevent the humanitarian tragedy that is unfolding,” he said, stressing that ending the violence in Gaza and the West Bank could create conditions not only for finding a lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but also for overcoming “other crisis hotspots in the wider Middle East” in accordance with Council resolutions.
To do this, he said, all external stakeholders must “step aside their geopolitical ambitions…and end decades of discriminatory policies against the Palestinian people.”
Guyana calls for immediate ceasefire
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyanaexpressed hope that resolution 2735 would silence the bombs that continue to rain down on the land, stressing that “the silence has been deafening to a viable solution to end the war in Gaza.”
“This council has a responsibility to continue to do everything in its power to end this war,” the ambassador said, calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all hostages and Palestinians held without trial in Israeli prisons and urging compliance with previous Security Council resolutions.
She also called for the collective political will to ensure a stable future for the region along with a range of actions, including the protection of UN and humanitarian personnel and increased aid into Gaza, stressing Israel’s obligation as the occupying power to ensure access to assistance for its people and reiterating the relevant requirements of the International Court of Justice.
Ms Rodrigues-Birkett said actions must reduce tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis, adding that “we continue to call for good faith efforts to reduce tensions in the region”.
United States: People living in hell over and over again
US Ambassador and Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted her country’s efforts alongside Qatar, Egypt and other partners to bring about an immediate ceasefire, release hostages and provide aid to the Palestinian people in need.
“This council knows very well that nothing about securing peace is easy and progress is certainly not as rapid as we would like. We see that in the ongoing negotiations… but we persevere,” she declared.
“We have worked tirelessly to facilitate the agreement that this Council adopted in resolution 2735,” she added.
She stressed that Hamas must be put under pressure to accept the agreement and begin implementing it without delay and without conditions. Israel must also take immediate additional steps to remove barriers to large-scale aid delivery.
We must persevere
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Palestinians are “living hell over and over again” fleeing from place to place in search of safety, she said, noting the recent IDF airstrike on a UN-supported school in Nuseirat.
“Finally and effectively implementing a negotiated ceasefire is the best way to alleviate suffering,” she added, expressing hope that a ceasefire in Gaza would support diplomacy to de-escalate the situation in the wider Middle East.
