Explanation of vote by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on the Middle East.
"Thank you President.
And let me thank you for your good faith efforts to negotiate
this resolution.
The draft resolution on which we have just voted rightly condemns
the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on the 7th
October. It also makes clear that all actions need to be taken in
line with international humanitarian law. It stresses the
importance of ensuring humanitarian access and protecting
civilians, and emphasises this Council’s shared priority of
preventing regional escalation of the conflict.
We welcome and support the draft resolution’s attempts to set out
the Council’s view on these critical points.
But the draft resolution needed to be clearer on Israel’s
inherent right to self-defence in line with the UN Charter after
Hamas’ attacks killed over 1,400 people and took almost 200
people hostage.
The draft resolution also ignored the fact that Hamas are using
innocent Palestinian civilians as human shields.
They have embedded themselves in civilian communities and made
the Palestinian people their victims too.
For these reasons, the United Kingdom abstained on this
resolution.
My Prime Minister has been clear that the UK stands with Israel
in the face of these atrocities.
We support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, take
back the hostages, deter further incursions, and strengthen its
security for the long term.
In so doing, we will continue to call on Israel to take all
feasible precautions to avoid harming Palestinian civilians and
to act in line with international humanitarian law.
We will continue to work closely with Israel and our partners in
the region to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To
ensure that civilians are protected and have access to food,
water, medicine, and shelter. And to work towards the peace and
stability promised by the Two State Solution.
I thank you."
