Statement by Ambassador , UK Permanent
Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on
the situation in the Middle East.
We too wish to extend our congratulations to Tom Fletcher on his
appointment as the Emergency Relief Coordinator and again to pay
tribute to Martin Griffiths for his outstanding service and to
thank Joyce Msuya for her leadership over this period of
transition.
Now more than ever we need strong voices to speak up for the
humanitarian community and we look forward to working with Tom
Fletcher and his team.
President, this week marked a sobering milestone. We are now one
year on from the events of 7 October 2023 and Hamas's brutal
terrorist attack against Israel; the darkest day in Jewish
history since the Holocaust. As my Prime Minister has said, we
honour those lost and continue in our determination to ensure the
return of those still held hostage.
Sadly, the anguish did not end on the 7th of October. Each and
every day since then, we have seen civilians suffer on a dreadful
scale.
We call upon Hamas and Israel to agree a ceasefire deal which
would see the release of the hostages, more aid entering Gaza,
and an opportunity to begin the work of reconstruction and
progress towards a Palestinian state. We also call upon Hamas to
stop endangering civilians.
With the conflict now having spread into Lebanon, we reiterate
our call for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanese Hizbollah
and Israel, and for diplomacy to take the place of violence.
President, while we continue to push for regional de-escalation,
it is vital that we do not lose sight of the continuing
humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Almost 42,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian
health officials. The majority of critical civilian
infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. And civilians live in
constant fear of air strikes. More women and children have now
been killed this year in Gaza than in any other global conflict
in the last two decades.
Despite Israel's commitment to flood Gaza with aid, the number of
humanitarian trucks entering Gaza last month was the lowest we
have seen since the start of the year. This is unacceptable and
must be addressed immediately.
Restrictions imposed by Israel have also led to the significant
drops in the flow of commercial goods, and these shortages are
driving looting and attacks on aid convoys.
Humanitarian aid is therefore not reaching those who need it
most, particularly in northern Gaza, which is at risk of being
completely cut off. As winter approaches, it is critical that
Israel takes action to change this.
As we have repeatedly said in this Council, Israel must do much
more to avoid civilian casualties and ensure the UN and its
humanitarian partners can operate safely and
effectively.
We are concerned by any efforts to undermine the UN or UNRWA,
which plays an indispensable role.
The UK fully supports the Secretary General, UNRWA and the wider
UN as they seek to secure peace through diplomacy and help the
people of the Middle East. That is why my government restored
funding to UNRWA, to support its vital work and to implement the
recommendations of the Colonna Report.
President, what the people of Gaza need more than anything is an
immediate ceasefire. We urge Israel and Hamas to return to the
table and secure a deal which would achieve this.
As my Prime Minister has said, the United Kingdom will not falter
in our pursuit of peace and our determination to secure a better
future for the region.
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