Statement by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on the Middle East.
All Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in peace: UK
statement at the Security Council
Statement by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
I would like to start by thanking ASG Khiari for his briefing
today.
I have three brief points to make.
First, we are alarmed by rising violence across the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, which this month culminated in Israel’s
operation in Jenin.
153 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli Security Forces in
the West Bank since January, more than the entirety of those
killed in 2022. We support the Palestinian Authority’s
independent role in securing Area A of the West Bank, as agreed
in the Oslo Accords.
We urge Israel to support the Palestinian Authority in this
endeavour and work collaboratively to ensure the safety and
protection of civilians across the Occupied Palestinian
Territories. We reiterate our condemnation of all indiscriminate
attacks on civilians, including recent terror attacks in Tel Aviv
and Kdumim.
We are appalled by the unprecedented scale of settlement
advancement in Area C of the West Bank, which we urge Israel to
reverse. Settlements are illegal under international law, raise
tensions, and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.
We also urge Israel to uphold its responsibility to protect
Palestinian communities in Area C, particularly from rising
settler violence that has recently led to violence in Turmusaya
and the relocation of the Palestinian Bedouin community of
Al-Baqa.
We are concerned by the forced eviction of the Ghaith-Sub Laban
family from their home in the Old City of Jerusalem. We urge
Israel to desist from further settlement expansion, demolitions
and evictions.
Third, the UK is concerned by the provocative visit and
inflammatory language used by Israeli ministers at the Haram
al-Sharif, the Temple Mount, today. We reaffirm our support for
the historic status quo and Jordan’s role as custodians.
The UK calls for all actors to respect the sanctity of the holy
sites and avoid actions which undermine the cause of peace.
Finally, the UK underlines our firm support to UNRWA, which has a
stabilising impact on the region. We call on members of the
Council to ensure critical funding gaps are filled, so that vital
services continue to be provided to Palestinian refugees.
All Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in peace and
security and this can only be achieved through a two-state
solution.
