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The Secretary-General’s

Remarks to the General Assembly Meeting

on the Situation in the Middle East and Palestine

New York, 20 May 2021

[as delivered]

The past ten days have witnessed a dangerous and horrific surge in deadly violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly Gaza, and in Israel.

I am deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. As of 19 May, this had claimed the lives of at least 208 Palestinians, including 60 children, and injured thousands more.

The continued indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups towards population centres in Israel, resulting in at least 12 fatalities including two children, and hundreds of injuries, is also unacceptable.

My heart goes out today to the victims and their loved ones.

The fighting must stop immediately. I appeal to all parties to cease hostilities, now and I reiterate my call on all sides for an immediate ceasefire.

The hostilities have caused serious damage to vital civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including roads and electricity lines, contributing to a humanitarian emergency. Crossings into Gaza have been closed and power shortages are affecting water supplies.

Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed, damaged, or rendered uninhabitable. Airstrikes have damaged several hospitals, which were already short of supplies due to years of debilitating closures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fighting has left thousands of Palestinians homeless, and forced over fifty thousand people to leave their homes and seek shelter in UNRWA schools, mosques, and other places with little access to water, food, hygiene or health services.

I was horrified by reports that nine members of one family were killed in al-Shati refugee camp.

If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza today.

The destruction of media offices and the killing of a journalist in Gaza are extremely concerning. Journalists must be able to carry out their essential work, including in conflict zones, without fear of attack and harassment. They must be protected and respected.

I am deeply distressed by damage to United Nations facilities in Gaza. United Nations premises are inviolable, including during armed conflict. Humanitarian installations must be respected and protected.

United Nations agencies and our partners continue to provide aid to the people of Gaza.

UNRWA is providing drinking water, sanitation, and electricity generators for those sheltering in its schools, while the World Food Programme has provided electronic vouchers to 74,000 people in Gaza.

Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock and I will launch a full humanitarian appeal for funding as soon as possible and in the meanwhile, to meet immediate needs, I am working on an allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund, and the Humanitarian Coordinator intends to release $14m from the Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

I urge donors to follow through on the pledges they have made.

Access for humanitarian goods is paramount. Attacks by militant groups on areas surrounding crossing points are unacceptable.

At the same time, Israel has a duty to allow and facilitate rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian aid – including food, fuel and medical supplies – into Gaza.

Meanwhile, rockets fired by militants in Gaza have reached as far as Tel Aviv and its suburbs and Ben Gurion airport, claiming civilian lives, causing hundreds of injuries, and damaging residential and commercial property.

Even wars have rules. First and foremost, civilians must be protected.

Indiscriminate attacks, and attacks against civilians and civilian property, are violations of the laws of war.

So are attacks against military objectives that cause disproportionate loss of civilian life and injury to civilians.

There is no justification, including counterterrorism or self-defence, for the abdication by the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

I urge the Israeli authorities to abide by the laws governing armed conflict, including the proportionate use of force. I call on them to exercise maximum restraint in the conduct of military operations.

I likewise urge Hamas and other militant groups to stop the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighbourhoods into civilian population centres in Israel, also in clear violation of international humanitarian law. Densely populated civilian areas must not be used for military purposes.

But above all, what we must - and I am repeating my appeal - what we must achieve is an immediate ceasefire.

I am also deeply concerned by the continuation of violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where several Palestinian families are under the threat of eviction. These developments were preceded by weeks of tension, including around the Holy Sites.

I urge Israel to cease demolitions and evictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

All settlement activities, including evictions and demolitions, are illegal under international law.

Jerusalem is a holy city for three world religions. I underscore that the status quo at the Holy Sites must be upheld and respected.

In Israel, communal violence and inflammatory rhetoric have added a further worrying dimension to the crisis. This localized violence has diminished over the past week, and I commend Jewish and Arab community leaders and civil society organizations for their positive contributions to peace.

Furthermore, with every day that passes, the risk that the violence could spread beyond Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory increases. This conflict creates an environment that is ripe for exploitation by radicals and extremists. We must prevent at all costs the emergence of a new locus of dangerous instability in the region.

It is imperative that we achieve de-escalation, to prevent an uncontainable cross-border security and humanitarian crisis.

United Nations officials, including my Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and I myself, are undertaking extensive diplomatic efforts within the region, including with Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, and with key partners in the international community, to encourage all sides to halt the violence.

We are engaging directly with the parties to conflict, including Hamas, in our efforts to secure an end to hostilities.

I commend the ongoing efforts of Member States aimed at encouraging all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and prevent further civilian casualties, and reach a cessation of hostilities.

I call on all members of the international community to do everything in their power to enable the parties to conflict to step back from the brink.

And I call on the parties themselves to allow for mediation efforts to intensify in order to bring the fighting to an end.

These horrific events did not arise in isolation. They must be viewed in the context of decades of military occupation, political deadlock, grievances and hopelessness, and a failure to address the core issues at the heart of the conflict.

We know far too well that violence begets violence. The unconscionable death, suffering and destruction of the past ten days only serve to push the prospect of sustained peace further into the future.

A revitalized peace process is the only route to a just and lasting solution.

It is imperative that we keep this long-term vision alive. It starts by replacing anger and disillusionment with hope for a future in which both Palestinians and Israelis live side by side, in peace and security.

We must work towards a resumption of negotiations that will address the status of Jerusalem and other final status issues; end the occupation; and allow for the realization of a two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, UN resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as capital of both Israel and Palestine.

The United Nations is deeply committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians, and with our international and regional partners, including through the Middle East Quartet, to realize a lasting and just peace.

Only through renewing our commitment and redoubling our efforts towards a negotiated solution can we bring this cruel violence and hatred to a definitive end.

Thank you.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

--
OPENING REMARKS TO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

16 May 2021

[as delivered]

I thank the Chinese presidency for organizing this open meeting.

We meet today amid the most serious escalation in Gaza and Israel in years.

The current hostilities are utterly appalling. This latest round of violence only perpetuates the cycles of death, destruction and despair, and pushes farther to the horizon any hopes of coexistence and peace.

Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately. Rockets and mortars on one side and aerial and artillery bombardments on the other must stop. I appeal to all parties to heed this call.

The United Nations is actively engaging all sides towards an immediate ceasefire.

The hostilities have already caused unconscionable death, immense suffering and damage to vital infrastructure. I am appalled by the increasingly large numbers of Palestinian civilian casualties, including many women and children, from Israeli strikes in Gaza. I also deplore Israeli fatalities from rockets launched from Gaza.

I am also deeply concerned by violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, where some Palestinian families are under threat of eviction.

In Israel, violence by vigilante-style groups and mobs has added a further horrendous dimension to an already deteriorating crisis. Leaders on all sides have a responsibility to curb inflammatory rhetoric and calm the rising tensions.

The fighting risks dragging Israelis and Palestinians into a spiral of violence with devastating consequences for both communities and for the entire region.

It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole, potentially creating a new locus of dangerous instability.

The hostilities have forced thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes in Gaza and shelter in schools, mosques and other places with limited access to water, food, hygiene or health services. Hospitals are already overstretched due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Israeli civilians live in fear of rockets launched from Gaza.

I am appalled by the attack on a refugee camp in Gaza, in which 10 members of one family were killed. Humanitarian installations must be protected.

Journalists must be allowed to work free of fear and harassment. The destruction of media offices in Gaza is extremely concerning.

This senseless cycle of bloodshed, terror and destruction must stop immediately.

All parties must respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The status quo at the holy sites must be upheld and respected.

My Special Coordinator will brief you today on the latest developments on the ground and our efforts to de-escalate the situation.

Let me reiterate that the United Nations remains deeply committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians and with our international and regional partners, including the Middle East Quartet, to realize a lasting and just peace.

We are in contact with many relevant interlocuters and I again call on the parties to allow mediation efforts to intensify and succeed.

The only way forward is to return to negotiations with the goal of a two-States solution, with two States living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, based on relevant UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements.

The longer this cycle of violence continues, the more challenging it will be to reach that ultimate goal.

Only a negotiated sustainable political solution will end, once and for all, these devastating cycles of violence and lead to a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

I thank you.

TOR WENNESLAND

SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

BRIEFING TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL VTC OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE EAST INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

16 MAY 2021

(As delivered)

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Members of the Security Council,

The past week has seen a deadly escalation between Israeli military forces and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza that is the most serious we have seen in years. We have also witnessed dramatic scenes of violence across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Tensions have been ongoing for weeks. In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem there have been protests and clashes over the threat of Palestinian evictions commenced by settler organizations. In the Old City, including in the Holy Esplanade, there have been violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli civilians and police. Police deployed a heavy presence in the area in the context of a large number of visitors for Ramadan prayers, protests and Israeli extremist demonstrations, leading to clashes.

With some 181Palestinians and nine Israelis killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian militant rockets, based on preliminary figures, the toll of this deadly confrontation is already too high.

I extend my sincere condolences to the families of all those who have lost loved ones in the violence.

Mr. President,

Since 10 May, according to Israeli official sources, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militants have launched over 2900 indiscriminate rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. According to Israel’s Office of the Prime Minister, nine Israelis, including five women and two children, and one Indian national were killed, and over 250 injured, 23 severely wounded. Civilians across the south and the center of the country have been repeatedly sent to shelters. An anti-tank missile fired at a vehicle near the Gaza perimeter fence, killed an Israeli soldier and injured two others.

Rockets have reached as far as the outskirts of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and its suburbs and Ben Gurion airport. While a significant number of rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome, some 450 fell short inside Gaza, accounting for some Palestinian casualties according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Direct hits have been reported in multiple locations, causing damage to residential and commercial property, as well as schools and a crude oil pipeline.

In Gaza, the humanitarian and security situation is more dire by the day. In response to the Palestinian militant rocket attacks that began on 10 May, the IDF has conducted over 950 strikes against what it said were militant targets, including weapons factories and depots, tunnel networks, Hamas training facilities, intelligence and security headquarters and offices and homes of senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives. These strikes have killed over 100 operatives, including senior commanders, according to the IDF. Nevertheless, the civilian death toll, including children, continues to mount.

As of this afternoon local time, Health Authorities in Gaza report 181 Palestinians, including at least 52 children, 31 women and a person with disabilities, were killed and 1,200 injured in these strikes. The population must repeatedly try to find cover from the strikes absent proper shelters and over 34,000 people have been displaced from their homes. Over 40 UNRWA schools are now open in Gaza as shelters with limited access to water and no access to health care or food and serve for protection purposes only. The dense and closed context of Gaza makes seeking shelter all the more difficult. As a result of the military operations, seven factories, 40 schools and at least four hospitals sustained complete or partial damage. At least 18 buildings, including four high-rise towers, including one hosting international media outlets, have been destroyed and over 350 buildings damaged. According to the IDF, these buildings contained Hamas military installations.

Mr. President,

Reports continue of families – women, children and infants – killed in their homes by the airstrikes. Early this morning, several houses were struck, while residents were inside, killing 12 people and injuring over 50 others. I note also the deaths yesterday of nine family members – two women and seven children – in the al-Shati camp, among so many others.

In Israel, a five-year old boy was killed by a rocket in Sderot and a sixteen-year old girl and her father were killed in Lod.

Such tragedies are unacceptable and cannot be justified nor measured.

Mr. President,

This escalation has already produced tragic results. A further intensification of hostilities would have devastating consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis.

The United Nations is working tirelessly with all sides to restore calm.

I reiterate the Secretary-General’s urgent call on Israel and Palestinian armed groups to take immediate and decisive steps to de-escalate the situation and prevent any further loss of life.

Israelis and Palestinians have a legitimate right to safety and security. The violence we are witnessing now is unacceptable and unjustifiable.

Hamas and other militants’ indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighborhoods into civilian population centers in Israel violates international humanitarian law and must cease immediately. Civilian areas must never be used for military purposes.

Israeli authorities must abide by international humanitarian law principles governing armed conflict, including the proportional use of force, exercising maximum restraint to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.

I reiterate that children should not be the target of violence or put in harm’s way.

Mr. President,

Turning briefly to ongoing regional dynamics, on 13 May, the IDF informed that three rockets were fired from Lebanon into the sea off the coast of northern Israel. Lebanese Armed Forces confirmed the firing and reported finding materiel close to a Palestine refugee camp in Rashidiyeh. On 14 May, up to 100 individuals protested north of the Blue Line, some waving Palestinian and Hizbullah flags. UNIFIL observed several protesters cross the Blue Line close to the town of Metula. IDF personnel fired multiple warning shots, reportedly injuring two. According to Lebanese authorities, a Lebanese citizen later died. The Lebanese Armed Forces arrested several protestors following the incident.

In addition, three rockets were launched from Syria. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

Mass protests in solidarity with Palestinians also occurred at Israeli borders with Jordan, where thousands of Jordanians marched towards the bridge connecting Jordan to the occupied West Bank but were reportedly stopped short by the Jordanian security forces.

Mr. President,

Violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to increase. Since 10 May, 19 Palestinians were killed, including two children, and some 1844 Palestinians were injured in the West Bank by Israeli Security Forces in either clashes or other incidents, with 444 injured by live ammunition. At least eight Israelis were injured in these incidents, according to Israeli Government sources.

On 10 May, amid heavy presence of Israeli security forces ahead of planned Jerusalem day marches thousands of Palestinians clashed with police in and around the Holy Esplanade and other parts of the Old City. ISF reportedly shot and injured over 650 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and other crowd-control means. 32 ISF personnel were injured in the clashes. Although, Israeli authorities took steps to reroute the Jerusalem day marches, leading to their cancelation, tensions continued, particularly within the Holy Esplanade.

In Sheikh Jarrah, ISF dispersed demonstrators using skunk water, sponge-tipped bullets and stun grenades. One Palestinian was killed and another shot and injured in separate incidents after they attempted to attack Israeli soldiers.

On 14 May, violence escalated as Palestinians held a “Day of Rage” in support of Gaza, with clashes between Palestinians and ISF in Qalqilyia, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron and dozens of other locations. Ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, in addition to one Palestinian killed near Ofra settlement in an alleged stabbing attack against ISF. This is the highest number of Palestinian fatalities recorded in a single day in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the UN began recording fatalities in 2008.

Mr. President,

Turning again to Gaza, the damage to infrastructure in the Strip has been substantial and a humanitarian emergency is unfolding.

The Gaza Power Plant is operating at reduced capacity due to Israel’s closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing. Reports from Gaza suggest rolling daily power cuts of 5-6 hours in some areas. With current stocks, it could operate at reduced capacity for another four days only. The lack of electricity has resulted in a decrease of clean water and sewage treatment affecting hundreds of thousands. The health system, already overwhelmed by chronic drug shortages, inadequate equipment and the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be unable to meet the needs of those injured during the violence, particularly as hospitals face equipment and electricity shortages.

Since 10 May, Israeli authorities have kept Gaza crossings for people and goods closed. This includes humanitarian personnel and critical aid, such as fuel and medical supplies. The fishing zone off the coast of Gaza also remains closed. The Rafah crossing was closed on 12 May and reopened this morning.

It is vital that, mindful of its security concerns, Israel open the crossings for movement of critical staff in and out of Gaza and for the entry of fuel for the GPP. The UN must also be able to bring in key items needed for trauma care and to adequately supply shelters given the huge influx of IDPs. This requires a pause in fighting to allow limited movement for a restock of supplies and to assess damages and needs including to electricity infrastructure.

I remind all sides that the UN and its partners have nearly completed a massive, multi-billion-dollar reconstruction effort following the 2014 conflict. Given the range of current global challenges, an outpouring of international support on the same scale is highly unlikely. All sides should be mindful of this as the fighting and destruction continues.

Mr. President,

We cannot allow the situation to slide further into chaos.

The hostilities must stop.

I reiterate the appeal just given by the Secretary-General for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for his dire warning that this conflict will increase radicalization and extremism in the whole region.

The international community has a crucial role to play. It must take action now to enable the parties to step back from the brink.

I welcome the statements from members of the Security Council, the Arab League and others aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the immediate crisis. I also appreciate the efforts of leaders across the international community over the past days urging all parties to exercise restraint, deescalate tensions and prevent further civilian casualties.

Mr. President,

We are once again witnessing the tragic results of the failure to address the core issues that have driven the conflict for decades.

Palestinian and Israeli civilians continue to endure the suffering that accompanies repeated cycles of violence and conflict.

These cycles of violence will only stop with a political resolution of the conflict, including addressing the status of Jerusalem and other final status issues, with an end to the occupation, and the realization of a two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, UN resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as capital of both Israel and Palestine.

I reiterate my call to the members of the Middle East Quartet, key Arab and international partners, as well as to Israeli and Palestinian leadership, to strengthen efforts to return to meaningful negotiations towards a viable two-State solution.

I thank you Mr. President.

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on Gaza

The Secretary-General appeals to all parties to immediately cease the fighting in Gaza and Israel.

The ongoing military escalation has caused great suffering and destruction. It has claimed scores of civilian lives, including, tragically, many children. The fighting has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole.

The parties must allow for mediation efforts to intensify with a view to ending the fighting immediately. The UN is actively involved in such efforts, which are also crucial for delivering much needed humanitarian aid to the affected people in Gaza.

The Secretary-General reiterates that only a sustainable political solution will lead to lasting peace. He reiterates his commitment, including through the Middle East Quartet, to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

14 May 2021