4 March, 2024<\/p>\n
SEVENTY-EIGHTH SESSION, 59TH MEETING (AM)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Lamenting the Security Council\u2019s inability to call for a ceasefire while the entire world demands one, speakers in the General Assembly today drew attention to the mounting death toll and famine in Gaza, while Israel condemned the Â鶹APP for collaborating with terrorists.<\/p>\n
In April 2022, the Assembly adopted a resolution on \u201cStanding mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council\u201d (document\u00a0A\/RES\/76\/262<\/a>), which has come to be described as the \u201cveto initiative\u201d. \u00a0Today\u2019s meeting was triggered by the use of veto by the United States on 20\u00a0February to reject the adoption of a Council resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.<\/p>\n While acknowledging the value of the veto initiative, Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago)<\/strong>, President of the General Assembly, expressed regret that it has to be invoked at all, with respect to the current deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. \u00a0\u201cThis week marks a grim milestone: \u00a0150 days of violence,\u201d he pointed out, stressing that the situation in Gaza is \u201ccatastrophic, unconscionable and shameful\u201d.<\/p>\n Highlighting the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people last week during disbursement of aid supplies, he said that thousands of children are watching their childhoods evaporate into the horrors of war while scrounging for food. \u00a0\u201cCountless mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews \u2014 all gone,\u201d he added. \u00a0Calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, he said all parties must respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and all hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you seen the images of Palestinian children?\u201d the Observer for the State of Palestine asked, as he held up a picture of a severely malnourished Gazan child who died today.\u00a0 Palestinian children are dying in darkness and destitution, he said, adding that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war.\u00a0 The dehumanization Palestinians have endured makes it easier for them to be killed, he said. \u00a0In contrast with the solidarity of billions around the world, some have a much higher threshold of tolerance for Palestinian deaths than Israeli deaths. \u00a0\u201cThose who consider us a lesser race\u201d believe that Israeli security trumps the Palestinian right to life, he said.<\/p>\n Israel has given the Palestinian people three options: \u00a0ethnic cleansing, apartheid or genocide, he said. \u00a0All three are possible in Palestine because of the certainty of the perpetrators that they will never be held accountable. \u00a0Israel has been killing, maiming and displacing Palestinians for years until the horrors culminated with the massacres in Gaza, he said, noting that Israeli leaders speak openly of the crimes they are committing and those they intend to commit and boast about torpedoing the peace process. \u00a0The country has been emboldened to such a point that it feels no shame for its crimes, and it openly defies its closest allies while flouting the Charter of the Â鶹APP.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael should be sanctioned,\u201d not rewarded, he underscored, expressing gratitude to people around the world who have mobilized in support of Palestine, including the hundreds of thousands who are protesting in the streets of New York City and Washington, D.C. \u00a0Also saluting the workers who are refusing to load ships carrying weapons that will go to Israel to kill Palestinian children, as well as the entities refusing to trade goods from Israeli settlements, he expressed gratitude to everyone who is unleashing the movement to hold Israel accountable. \u00a0Recalling that the Vice-President of the United States chose Selma, Alabama, to call for an immediate ceasefire, he noted that she said \u201cfreedom is not to be given [\u2026] it is ours by right\u201d. \u00a0This is true of Palestinian freedom as well, he asserted.<\/p>\n However, the representative of Israel<\/strong> expressed regret that, yet again, the Assembly has convened not to condemn Hamas but to focus on the situation in Gaza, \u201cas if October\u00a07 never happened, as if there are not 134 innocent hostages that are being held and tortured in Gaza right now\u201d. \u00a0Condemning the\u00a0Â鶹APP silence\u00a0in the face of Hamas\u2019s sexual violence, he asked: \u00a0\u201cWe have heard the empty words of UN officials calling for the release of the hostages but have we seen any of them take action?\u201d<\/p>\n Playing a video featuring women describing sexual violence at the hands of Hamas attackers, he said calling for a ceasefire means \u201cabandoning these women to sexual abusing Hamas monsters\u201d. \u00a0The\u00a0Â鶹APP will be a collaborator to rapists, he said, adding that instead, it must \u201cstand alongside the vibrant democracy of Israel\u201d. \u00a0Dozens of employees of\u00a0Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)\u00a0took part in the October\u00a07 massacre while many more praised the savage attack, he said, adding: \u00a0\u201cIn Gaza, the UN is a terror organization.\u201d \u00a0Also showing video footage of what he described as an UNRWA social worker stuffing a body into a truck to be taken into Gaza, he said that \u201cUN employees are kidnapping Israeli children\u201d.<\/p>\n Adding that 12\u00a0per\u00a0cent of the Agency\u2019s workers are members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, he said that UNRWA ensures that Palestinian refugees will forever remain refugees as will their children, grandchildren and every following generation \u201cuntil one day they can all storm into Israel to claim it for themselves\u201d.\u00a0 The Agency\u2019s schools are breeding grounds for incitement, he said, adding that international financing is grooming Palestinian children into terrorists. \u00a0The Agency will never again operate in Gaza as it had prior to 7\u00a0October, he said, adding that \u201cits role in Gaza is finished and it must be replaced\u201d. \u00a0Those supporting UNRWA are supporting Hamas, he said, adding that \u201cwhile we hold this discussion in this hall, there are hostages being tortured and abused and defiled.\u201d<\/p>\n Algeria\u2019s<\/strong> delegate highlighted the careful thought that went into the draft resolution introduced by his delegation in the Council, which was vetoed by the United States. \u00a0The text made a clear demand, in line with the call of millions of people around the world, for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. \u00a0During the negotiation process, his delegation tried to consider different proposals and get to a text that could garner the support of all Member States. \u00a0Unfortunately, it was not possible to do that because of the use of the veto.\u00a0 The massacre near Al-Rashid Street is an example of what happens when the Council fails, he said, adding that it also demonstrates the limitations of Security Council resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023).\u00a0Expressing regret that the Council is the only organ that hasn\u2019t called for a ceasefire, he cautioned that if it does not act immediately, \u201cthere will be nothing in Gaza that is worthy of living\u201d.<\/p>\n Countering, the representative of the United States<\/strong> noted that over the past month his delegation has said clearly that the resolution before the Security Council would not achieve the goal of a sustainable peace \u2014 and may in fact run counter to it.\u00a0 As that resolution in and of itself would not have resulted in a ceasefire, his delegation urged colleagues not to proceed with a vote and cautioned that doing so could disrupt intensive efforts already under way with partners including Qatar and Egypt to get an agreement.\u00a0 His country, he added, has circulated a draft resolution that calls for a temporary ceasefire together with the release of all hostages \u2014 bringing a halt to the widespread suffering of so many Palestinian children women and men \u201cwho are caught in this crossfire of Hamas\u2019 making\u201d \u2014 and getting aid into the hands of Palestinian civilians.\u00a0 \u201cWe will continue engaging on this text so that the Council can finally condemn Hamas for its horrific attacks on 7\u00a0October which set this crisis into motion,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n The representative of Malta<\/strong>, who spoke on behalf of the 10 elected members of the Security Council, namely Algeria<\/strong>, Ecuador<\/strong>, Guyana<\/strong>, Japan<\/strong>, Mozambique<\/strong>, Republic of Korea<\/strong>, Sierra Leone<\/strong>, Slovenia<\/strong>, Switzerland<\/strong>, and her own country, said all of them voted in favour of the text introduced by Algeria.\u00a0 Expressing deep regret that the draft was vetoed, she said it was a carefully crafted document calling for safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza Strip, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and full compliance with international law.<\/p>\n The representative of Australia<\/strong>, also speaking for Canada<\/strong> and New Zealand<\/strong>, thanked the United States for its explanation of the use of the veto on 20\u00a0February.\u00a0 Noting that members of his group unequivocally condemned the 7\u00a0October Hamas attacks and called for the immediate release of all hostages, he stressed that Palestinians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.\u00a0 The proposed ground offensive into Rafah would be catastrophic, he said, reiterating \u201cour message to Israel to not go down this path\u201d.\u00a0 Welcoming efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to mediate a pause in hostilities, he said a ceasefire cannot be one-sided:\u00a0 Hamas must release all hostages, lay down its arms and stop using Palestinians as human shields.<\/p>\n The representative of Liechtenstein<\/strong>, speaking on behalf of a group of countries, recalled that there have been six vetoes by three permanent members of the Security Council on resolutions and amendments related to the ongoing massive humanitarian and protection of civilians emergency in Gaza.\u00a0 Four texts \u2014 two draft resolutions and two amendments \u2014 have failed to be adopted for lack of sufficient votes.\u00a0 Calling on the Council to act in accordance with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security, he further encouraged the General Assembly \u201cto make the most of its Charter-defined role to inspire necessary action where it is prevented by the use and threat of the veto\u201d \u2014 which limits the ambition of potential proposals precisely when it is most needed.\u00a0 He urged Member States to consider how to empower the Assembly to act more decisively when the Council is unable to do so.<\/p>\n The use of the veto, said the representative of Qatar<\/strong>, speaking on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, cost the Council an opportunity to strengthen international peace and security. \u00a0Instead, it sent messages of double standards in international relations. \u00a0Expressing alarm regarding \u201cthe worst humanitarian disaster in modern human history\u201d, she strongly condemned Israeli threats to launch a ground military operation in Rafah, as well as measures for forced displacement of civilians. \u00a0She also highlighted efforts undertaken by her country, Egypt and the United States towards a ceasefire as well as release of hostages and prisoners.<\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter<\/strong>, noted the abundance of information on this brutal war, which is being broadcast live by its very victims. \u00a0Commending Algeria\u2019s leadership in championing the Palestinian cause within the Council, he noted that its action-oriented draft resolution called for nothing more than an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. \u00a0Countless protesters are calling for this in the streets of various capitals around the world, including in this very city on 2\u00a0March, he observed.<\/p>\n He, as well as many other speakers, also stressed the need to facilitate the work of humanitarian personnel on the ground and expressed support for\u00a0UNRWA, which remains a lifeline for Palestinian refugees.\u00a0 It has played a vital role, particularly in these horrific months, but also historically, he noted, with the Assembly time and again underscoring the Agency\u2019s indispensable humanitarian role on the ground. \u00a0Especially in light of recent reports about Israel blocking aid into Gaza, it is essential to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access consistently and safely, he said.<\/p>\n Along similar lines,\u00a0the representative of Pakistan<\/strong>, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)<\/strong>, condemned Israel\u2019s efforts to dismantle UNRWA. \u00a0Highlighting the carnage by Israel\u2019s occupation forces on unarmed Palestinians awaiting life-saving aid on 29\u00a0February, he urged Member States to exert diplomatic and legal pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to stop its crimes against humanity and called for an international peace conference on Palestine.<\/p>\n The representative of Yemen<\/strong>, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group<\/strong>, called on all countries to resist Israel\u2019s genocidal agenda and attempts to terminate UNRWA.\u00a0 All donor countries who suspended their funding must reconsider and take swift measures to secure sustainable funding for the Agency. \u00a0More than 2\u00a0million people are completely reliant on its services. \u00a0Further, he stressed that current events in Gaza are a testament to the importance of granting the State of Palestine full membership at the UN. \u00a0Drawing attention to the Israeli Knesset\u2019s vote in favour of rejecting any unilateral international recognition of an independent Palestinian State, he questioned whether that country should preserve its seat in the General Assembly.<\/p>\n The representative of the European Union<\/strong>, speaking in its capacity as observer, said the European Commission will provide an additional \u20ac68\u00a0million to support the Palestinian people and will disperse \u20ac50\u00a0million to UNRWA this week. \u00a0Calling on UNRWA to continue addressing allegations that \u201ca few of its staff members were involved in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks of 7\u00a0October\u201d, he also called on Hamas to immediately release all hostages without any precondition.\u00a0 He strongly condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas across Israel on 7\u00a0October, which included sexual and gender-based violence.\u00a0 While Israel has the right to defend itself, it must do so in line with international law, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 4 March, 2024 GA\/12585 SEVENTY-EIGHTH SESSION, 59TH MEETING (AM) Delegates Express Regret Over Veto Use on Security Council Resolution That Called for Safe, Unhindered Humanitarian Access, Release of All Hostage Lamenting the Security Council\u2019s inability to call for a ceasefire while the entire world demands one, speakers in the General Assembly today drew attention to 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