Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security
Council briefing on the situation in Gaza.
Thank you President, and my thanks go to the representatives from
the UAE and others who called this important Council session.
The United Kingdom joins fellow Council Members in welcoming the
ceasefire in Gaza announced last night. We express our thanks to
Egypt, Qatar and the office of UN Special Coordinator, Tor
Wennesland, for their mediation efforts. We now urge all parties
to do their utmost to ensure the ceasefire is durable and
prevents further violence.
These last few days we have once again seen tragic scenes in
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We strongly condemn the firing of over 1,100 rockets at civilians
by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the ongoing campaign of terror
attacks by the group, which has resulted in the deaths of
innocent civilians, Israelis and Palestinians alike.
As my Foreign Secretary has been clear, the UK stands by Israel
and its right to defend itself in the face of such terrorism and
violence.
The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to the
families of innocent Palestinian civilians killed over the past
three days, particularly the tragic deaths of children. The UK
supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these
reports. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cycle of
violence, have taken too many lives.
We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in
Gaza, including lack of movement and access, damage to civilian
infrastructure, and critical supplies, such as fuel for power
plants to supply electricity, including for hospitals. We welcome
Israel’s announcement that it is allowing humanitarian aid
through to Gaza. Immediate access for humanitarian relief
is essential, and we expect that the ceasefire agreement will now
allow for prompt restoration of movement and access for people
and goods via the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.
This escalation is yet another reminder of the urgent need for
progress towards a Two State solution that ensures a safe and
secure Israel, living alongside a Palestinian state based on 1967
lines, with Jerusalem the shared capital of both states.
