Thank you, President, and I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his briefing today.
Israel continues to deal with the brutal horror and the aftermath of the October 7th attacks and Hamas continues to hold innocent hostages continue in Gaza. The UK condemns these attacks unequivocally. Israel has a right to defend itself and ensure such an attack can never happen again.
At the same time, innocent Palestinians are facing unfathomable human suffering in Gaza. The latest IPC report stated that there is an imminent risk of famine. Disease is on the rise. A devastating humanitarian crisis is worsening day by day. The UK agrees with the recommendations in the IPC report.
President, I wish to make three points:
First, the UK has long been calling for an immediate humanitarian pause in fighting, to get aid in and hostages out, leading to a sustainable ceasefire. Yesterday's adoption of Resolution 2728 delivered just that, we now need to see its full implementation. We welcome the ongoing negotiations led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US to this end. And we reiterate our call on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all hostages.
Second, Israel needs to do more to ensure significantly more live-saving aid can reach those in need in Gaza. This includes opening Ashdod Port and Kerem Shalom in full and to their maximum operating capacity, issuing visas to UN workers and aid agencies. And ensuring effective deconfliction to guarantee the safety of aid convoys.
The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have reiterated these messages to Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders in recent weeks.
The UK has trebled our aid commitment this financial year. And we will keep doing everything we can to get more aid in by land, sea, and air to reach those in desperate need in Gaza.
We are also deeply concerned to hear reports that Israel has blocked UNRWA's access to Northern Gaza. We call on Israel to ensure urgently the UN can deliver food aid immediately to those living in the North, many of whom are at greatest risk of starvation.
Third, we are alarmed by the continued expansion of settlements and unprecedented levels of settler violence in the West Bank, including the most recent Israeli announcement of the denomination of 1,976 acres of land in the Jordan Valley as state land. We are clear; settlements are a violation of international law, and we must continue to take further steps to hold those to account who undermine the steps to peace in the West Bank.
Finally, we need to begin to focus on how we chart the way towards a sustainable peace without a return to fighting.
That means:
- Removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel.
- Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza.
- The formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package.
- And a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in security and peace.
I thank you, President.
