{"id":238408,"date":"2020-08-25T13:05:01","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T17:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=238408"},"modified":"2020-08-26T15:32:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-26T19:32:13","slug":"security-council-briefing-unrwa-concern-about-gaza-power-plant-closure-incidents-in-gaza-west-bank-25-aug-2020-daily-press-briefing-excerpts","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/security-council-briefing-unrwa-concern-about-gaza-power-plant-closure-incidents-in-gaza-west-bank-25-aug-2020-daily-press-briefing-excerpts\/","title":{"rendered":"Security Council Briefing; UNRWA Concern about Gaza Power Plant Closure; Incidents in Gaza, West Bank \u2013 25 Aug. 2020 Daily Press Briefing \u2013 (Excerpts)"},"content":{"rendered":"
25 AUGUST 2020<\/strong><\/h6>\n

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today\u2019s noon briefing by St\u00e9phane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.<\/p>\n

\/…<\/p>\n

**Middle East<\/u><\/p>\n

Back in New York, the Security Council held an\u00a0open video teleconference<\/a>\u00a0on the situation in the Middle East.\u00a0 Briefing was Nickolay Mladenov, our Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.\u00a0 In his remarks he reiterated how the Secretary-General has welcomed the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, saying he hopes it will create an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to re-engage.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0Mladenov noted that the deal has the potential to change dynamics across the region, creating new opportunities for cooperation at a time when the Middle East and the world face grave dangers from COVID-19, as well as radicalization.\u00a0 He added that it will create new economic opportunities and opportunities for peace.\u00a0 He also voiced concern over the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel.\u00a0 The UN, along with our partners, have continued to support Palestinians in responding to the pandemic, including by addressing critical gaps in medical supplies and equipment.\u00a0 His full remarks have been shared with you.<\/p>\n

**Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East<\/u><\/p>\n

And just a note from the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East\u00a0(UNRWA), they tell us that they are extremely concerned about the closure of the lone power plant in Gaza since last Tuesday, 18\u00a0August with the impact it will have on health care and other sectors.<\/p>\n

\/…<\/p>\n

**Questions and Answers<\/u><\/p>\n

\/…<\/p>\n

Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Okay, okay.\u00a0 Thank you, I’m sorry for that.\u00a0 Well, I have a few questions on Mr.\u00a0Mladenov’s briefing.\u00a0 He started his speech by saying this agreement between United Arab Emirates and Israel stops the Israeli plans over part of the West Bank.\u00a0 He used the word “stops”. \u00a0And he thanked Israel for its commitment not to annex part of the West Bank.\u00a0 I think both, as probably everyone knows, that’s very inaccurate description of the real things in this agreement between Israel and United Arab Emirates.\u00a0 It didn’t stop, and Israeli did not express commitment to not\u2026 not to annex parts of the West Bank.\u00a0 Any comment on that?<\/p>\n

Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 Well, I mean, that’s more of a commentary than a question.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0Mladenov’s views represent the Secretary\u2011General’s views.\u00a0 I’m not sure what else I can add.\u00a0 I think we will have to agree to disagree on the analysis of the situation.<\/p>\n

Question<\/u>:\u00a0 The second question is that he, in most of his speech, put the blame on the Palestinians.\u00a0 He mentioned militant activities in Gaza.\u00a0 He mentioned incendiary balloons, rockets firing.\u00a0 And when he wants to talk about Israel, he used the word “responded”, two times he used “in response to that”. \u00a0So, why he cannot blame the occupation? \u00a0Why he cannot blame the siege imposed on Gaza by Israel? \u00a0Why only the Gazans are to be blamed for militant activities?<\/p>\n

Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I don’t\u2026 I don’t think he is solely blaming the Palestinians or the\u2026 for this situation.\u00a0 He is reporting on the period that he’s meant to report to to the Security Council.\u00a0 I think it is very clear what his, what our ultimate vision is, which is a resumption of negotiations, a halt to the activities that puts civilians at risk and in pain and at risk of death.\u00a0 So, again, I think you’re\u2026 you are free and encouraged to do analysis and commentary on what he said, but he said what he said, and I really have nothing to add to it.\u00a0 Toby?<\/p>\n

Correspondent<\/u>:\u00a0 No, I read what [inaudible].\u00a0 I’m not inventing it.<\/p>\n

Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I’m not saying you’re inventing.\u00a0 I’m saying we have different visions of the words on paper.\u00a0 So, I’m not here to interpret or analyse what Mr.\u00a0Mladenov said.\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0Mladenov used very clear and precise language in English, and that’s what he said.\u00a0 And he represents the views of the Secretariat in that regard and the Secretary\u2011General.<\/p>\n

\/…<\/p>\n

Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 Yes, go ahead.\u00a0 Go ahead.\u00a0 And then, Iftikhar, I don’t know if you’re waving goodbye or wanted to ask a question?<\/p>\n

Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 One thing was\u2026 one\u2026 many things were missing in his briefing, especially the bodies of the Palestinian killed by Israel and the night raids that go on and on on Palestinian homes.\u00a0 At 3\u00a0a.m. on Sunday morning, about 60\u00a0soldiers went to the village of Nabi Saleh to arrest young man Mohammed \u2014 sorry \u2014 Mohammed Bilal Tamimi.\u00a0 Mohammed Bilal Tamimi is 21.\u00a0 He was released from jail eight months ago.\u00a0 He has a bullet in his chest, and he’s been under doctor’s protection and supervision.\u00a0 Sixty soldiers went there, 15\u00a0of them inside the home, threw a pepper bomb on the family’s house, and they arrested him.\u00a0 Until now, no one knows where he is.\u00a0 They’ve been trying to reach out to every organization and UN to find out where is Mohammed Bilal Tamimi.\u00a0 Until now, they don’t know where he is.\u00a0 Can you come up with an answer?<\/p>\n

Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I will\u2026 we will refer that to Mr.\u00a0Mladenov’s office and see what we can get.\u00a0 Okay, all right.\u00a0 Thank you, all, and see you tomorrow.\u00a0 Bye.<\/p>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

25 AUGUST 2020 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today\u2019s noon briefing by St\u00e9phane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. \/… **Middle East Back in New York, the Security Council held an\u00a0open video teleconference\u00a0on the situation in the Middle East.\u00a0 Briefing was Nickolay Mladenov, our Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.\u00a0 In his […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"template-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[897,1197],"document-category":[2573],"document-source":[5352,1362,6169,1817,1877],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2849,1829,2005,1741,1857,2021,2181,2285,2385],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[],"class_list":["post-238408","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-israel","country-united-arab-emirates","document-category-highlights-of-the-noon-briefing","document-source-secretary-general","document-source-security-council","document-source-united-nations-department-of-global-communications","document-source-united-nations-relief-and-works-agency-for-palestine-refugees-in-the-near-east-unrwa","document-source-united-nations-special-coordinator-for-the-middle-east-peace-process-unsco","document-subject-annexation","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-incidents","document-subject-incursions","document-subject-negotiations-and-agreements","document-subject-prisoners-and-detainees","document-subject-security-issues","entity-united-nations-system"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/238408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/238408\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=238408"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=238408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}