YouSaid · the spoken record

Al-Kidwa

lines on the record: 724
first: 1992-01-06
most recent: 2004-10-06
sittings or episodes: 59
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“A prerequisite for the building by the Palestinian people of a different culture internally is the existence of a culture in which their rights are respected and in which the laws are upheld by an international community that promotes justice and peace by applying the same standard of law to all the peoples of the world.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“That pattern of behaviour has undermined the rule of law and has deepened cynicism regarding justice and the rule of law, alienating those who believe in it and discouraging reliance on it. While that has been a disastrous factor in the case of Palestine - compounding and prolonging the conflict - we should not resign ourselves to accepting that that is the way it has to be. Indeed, it is our deep hope that that pattern - and not the law - will be cast aside when the issue of the ICJ's advisory opinion, which conclusively defined the applicable rules and principles of international law on the matter - is brought before the Council for consideration. The importance of that issue with regard to the debate on justice and the rule of law - both generally and specifically in terms of Palestine - should not be underestimated.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In short, it has failed to uphold the law. To be fair, this is not the failure of the membership as a whole. True, a few might have tried to appease the aggressor at the expense of the law; but, more significantly, one permanent member has consistently prevented the Council from taking serious actions, has provided the occupying Power with unjustified diplomatic protection and has actively tried to neutralize - and at times even to negate - the law. The consequences of that behaviour have been extremely detrimental, not only in terms of the rights of the Palestinian people, but also in terms of the international system and its authority and credibility.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The human rights of the Palestinian people under international human rights law have been systematically violated. The rights of Palestinian protected persons under international humanitarian law have been trampled. And even our rights under the Charter have been denied, including our erga omnes rights such as the right to self-determination. It seems accurate to say that this is an unprecedented case. The United Nations, especially the Security Council, has failed in a historic way. It has failed to implement its own resolutions; it has failed for more than 37 years to prevent the insidious and active colonization of Palestinian land and constant attempts to change the status of Jerusalem, a city of international importance; and it has failed to be faithful to the purposes and principles of the Charter.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We also welcome the increasing significance that the International Criminal Court is acquiring within the international debate, and we strongly hope that more centrality is given to the International Court of Justice, as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations system. If we are to succeed in building and institutionalizing a culture of law - especially in post- conflict situations - we must ensure that conflicts are resolved on the basis of law. In the case of Palestine, the law has been elusive. At best it has been sidelined, and at worst it has been transgressed in the most egregious manner. The rights of the Palestine refugees under international refugee law have been ignored, including their right to private property.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The international community must draw some conclusions. It is imperative to ensure, at the very least, a clear basis for an end to the conflict before one delves into the tasks of post-conflict reconstruction. Ignoring the crux of the problem and shelving international law with regard to the conflict itself can only lead to failure. Today's debate concerns a broader theme, and we welcome that, for there exists a simple reality: without justice one cannot have peace, and without law one cannot have justice. Further, in the absence of compliance with the law and "playing by the rules", it is chaos that will prevail, with outcomes that are difficult to fully predict. We welcome the intention of the Secretary-General to focus on the rule of law in the coming period.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The problem, however, is that, in reality, we remain in the midst of a raging conflict in which the stronger party, the occupying Power, continues to colonize Palestinian land and commit illegal acts against the Palestinian people, seeking to ensure that we do not succeed in our post-conflict reconstruction and to create conditions intended to negate our national rights and even our national existence. For example, while the Palestinian Legislative Council has been trying to create a body of Palestinian laws to replace those that existed before, the occupying Power continues to enforce its military orders and even to invoke British emergency regulations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, while at the same time establishing a separate legal system for the illegal Israeli settlers.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies is a matter of great importance to Palestine. We are a society that has been trying to rebuild itself and its institutions, including in the justice sector, as if we were in a post-conflict situation. The international community provided us with assistance in this field, and some have even tried to hold us accountable to the standards of justice that would be applied to a post- conflict situation.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is indeed regrettable that it is not even in the interest of the Israeli people - at least not in the long-term, as the interests of both peoples lie in the upholding of law, allowing international mechanisms to operate normally and reaching a genuine settlement, rather than a fake settlement, that will indeed lead to the creation of two States, Palestine and Israel, on the basis of the 1967 borders. I am convinced that that will eventually happen, despite all the wrong and destructive positions that have been taken, and that continue to be taken.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“The fact that 29 vetoes have been cast sums up the entire tragedy of the Middle East. This has prevented the Security Council from discharging its duties and responsibilities under the Charter. It has also provided cover for the occupying Power, permitting it to pursue its violations of international law. In practical terms, those vetoes have blocked the upholding of law and undermined the status of the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Obviously, none of that is in the interest of the Palestinian people.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“It is inadmissible to talk about Israel's right to self-defence as if it were a regular peace-loving country that fully respects laws as other countries do. Under law, Israel is an occupying Power. The International Court of Justice recently addressed that matter. Of course, Israel has the right to defend its citizens. However, given that it is an occupying Power, attempts to exonerate Israel from its responsibilities as such a Power are unacceptable, neither now nor in the future. The veto used today is the seventh veto of the current United States Administration against draft resolutions concerning the situation in occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. It is the twenty-ninth veto cast by the United States against such draft resolutions.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“Nor did we hear anything about the destruction of the lives and future of the entire Palestinian people. Allow me to tell the Council, from our own perspective, the real difference between the acts of some Palestinian groups and the excessive actions of Israeli occupying forces. Both acts are aimed largely at civilians, but the real difference is that the Palestinian groups continue to be groups working outside the law and against the will of the Palestinian Authority; whereas the actions of Israeli occupying forces are being committed by an official army pursuing the official policy of the Government of a Member State of the United Nations: an official army committing war crimes and acts of State terrorism. Allow me also to say a word about Israel's so- called right to self-defence.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“A greater cause for sorrow is the fact that, at the beginning of today's meeting, we heard words referring to victims among Israeli children but not a single word about Palestinian children. Palestinians usually suffer much more. A Palestinian child was killed today; her name was Iman Al-Hams, aged 13. Twenty bullets riddled her body while she was on her way to school. That does not count, apparently. We also heard at the beginning of the meeting words referring to rockets launched against Israel, as if they were transcontinental missiles or weapons of mass destruction being fired by the Palestinian side against Israel. We did not hear a word about the tanks, bulldozers, military gunships and fighter jets made in the United States, or about the flechette missiles.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): I wish to begin by sincerely thanking the sponsors of draft resolution S/2004/783, on which the Council has just voted: Algeria, Pakistan and Tunisia. I wish also to thank all the delegations that voted in favour of the draft resolution. The Palestinian people and the other peoples of the region appreciate the position they have taken. This is yet another sad day for the Security Council. Once again the Council has failed to fulfil its Charter responsibility with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council has failed to take a stand on the bloody attacks that at this very moment Israeli occupation forces are carrying out against the Palestinian people in northern Gaza. The Council failed to do that and to call for an end to bloodshed and destruction.”
2004-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5051 (2004) · source
“It is our fervent hope that the Council will respond in the right way. Our steadfast Palestinian people will not surrender. It will continue to cling to its national rights. While we feel a profound sense of bitterness at the lack of justice and legality, and at the application of double standards, we have not lost hope. Once again we express our hope that the Council will today be able to take the necessary measures, specifically regarding the current situation in northern Gaza Strip.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“The Court has set forth the legal obligations incumbent upon Israel, the occupying Power, under the norms of international law and the other legal obligations of all Member States, and has requested the United Nations, especially the General Assembly and Security Council, to take additional measures to bring an end to the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall. The General Assembly has responded favourably and has taken the first step, which is set out in its resolution ES-lO/lS. The Security Council has not yet responded, and we intend to put this extremely important question before the Council. This will have immense implications for the question of Palestine and the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - and indeed, for the whole body of international law and the entire international order.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“We call upon the international community to adhere strictly to the road map and to support the Palestinian position in that regard. Our understanding of the position of the Quartet, despite some ambiguity, is that the Quartet has taken the same approach; that approach is acceptable, and we hope it will develop in the right direction. While we reiterate our acceptance of the road map and our support for the Quartet action, we call on the Quartet to impose respect for the road map and not to depart from it. We also call on the Security Council to become engaged in the political process, thus giving it momentum and further force. The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion regarding the wall built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and the surrounding area.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“We cannot accept that. That Sharon plan and the Israeli-American exchange of letters of 14 April 2004 are in violation of international law and completely contravene the road map. Suffice it to mention here that the plan is unilateral and aims at undermining the territorial integrity of the Palestinian territory. Any withdrawal from Gaza must indeed be a genuine part of the road map. This means that it must be parallel to similar steps taken in the West Bank, primarily halting the construction of the separation wall and stopping the building of settlements. And all of that must take place in coordination with the Palestinian Authority. Naturally, the withdrawal must be complete, so that the Gaza Strip will not be transformed into a huge prison.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“What we need now is for the Council to take a step by calling on Israel to cease its aggression and promptly halt its military operations, withdraw from the northern Gaza Strip and not repeat such actions in the future. Perhaps what is taking place now in Gaza is related in some way to the so-called unilateral Sharon disengagement plan, which is aimed at dismantling the settlements and military installations in the Gaza Strip, as well as four settlement outposts in the northern West Bank, while laying siege to the Gaza Strip and maintaining control over its land, airspace and water. The plan also aims at continuing the construction of the separation wall and the building of settlements in the West Bank. In brief, it aims at a long-term movement to surround the Gaza Strip while maintaining the colonization of the West Bank.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“Israel continues the colonization of our territory and the construction of its separation wall, which will destroy the present and the future of our people, as well as any prospects for peace between the two sides and the possibility of establishing two States. Once again, my Mission has kept the Council informed, in a series of 203 letters that document all those crimes and violations. This raises the following serious question: Why has the Council failed so far to put an end to all this? Even before, why did the Council fail to halt the colonization of the Palestinian territory and the attempts to change the legal status of Jerusalem? Irrespective of the reason, which is known to all of us, perhaps the time has come for the Council to take a firm position to put an end to this constantly unfolding tragedy.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“There is absolutely no justification, under any circumstances, for this Israeli hysteria, this widespread killing and this deliberate destruction. There is no justification for the war crimes, State terrorism and violations of international humanitarian law which preceded recent events such as the continuation of extrajudicial killings; the killing and injuring of civilians, including women and children; the continued use of indiscriminate excessive force; the ongoing demolition of homes, economic installations and farmland; the policy of closures that prevents the movement of people and goods.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“Moreover, the Palestinian Authority has repeatedly demanded that Palestinian groups engaged in this practice stop it completely and give precedence to the Palestinian national interest over any other consideration. This has nothing to do with the legitimate right of our people to resist the occupation. At the same time, it is important that the context be very clear. We are talking here about a rudimentary weapon that is put together locally and that has caused, over the past several years, the loss of three Israeli civilian lives, including those of the two children. We are not talking about weapons of deterrence or about rockets in the traditional sense of the word. That is the reality on the ground, despite the fact that we have reiterated our position that this practice must cease altogether.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“President, in convening this open meeting, and we hope that the Security Council will be able to consider the draft resolution that has been submitted to it and to vote on it as soon as possible. Israel, the occupying Power, claims that it has swept through the northern part of the Gaza Strip and committed all those acts in response to the launching of rockets from that area on an Israeli town that is close to the border between Israel and the Palestinian territory, specifically, the launching of a rocket last Wednesday that resulted in the killing of two Israeli children. Here, we express our sorrow at the loss of the two children, and at the loss of any civilian life on both sides.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“This has precipitated a genuine humanitarian tragedy, the repercussions of which will require vast resources and much time to redress. In addition to that, many ranking Israeli officials have expressed their intention to pursue their aggression for an extended period of time as well as their intention to set up a buffer zone. My delegation has informed the Security Council, the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly of all these horrific developments in three letters (S/2004/729, S/2004/76l and S/2004/776), in the last of which we requested immediate intervention by the Security Council and stressed the need to take proper measures in this regard. The Arab Group has also done this. We appreciate your prompt response, Mr.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“The bulk of these losses occurred when the Israeli occupation forces swept through the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including the Jabaliya refugee camp, rushing more than 2,000 soldiers, more than 100 tanks and 100 armoured vehicles and bulldozers to the area, in addition to its massive use of helicopter gunships. The Israeli occupation forces have used this massive military might indiscriminately, even using cluster bombs against human Palestinian targets. These forces have deliberately destroyed just about everything in their way, including day nurseries and schools. Hundreds of Palestinians are now without shelter as a result of the total or partial demolition of their homes. Tens of thousands are without water or electricity and are suffering from severe shortages of food and medicine.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): We congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency for this month and we pay tribute to your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Spain. Israel, the occupying Power, persists in committing war crimes and acts of State terrorism against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. In the last six days alone, Israeli occupation forces have killed 83 Palestinians, including 20 children under the age of 18, and have injured over 350 others. Israel has caused widespread destruction, including the demolition of homes and the destruction of farmland, economic installations and infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity networks.”
2004-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5049 (2004) · source
“The international community, including through the Security Council and the Quartet, must act firmly and collectively to uphold international law, to counter the precipitous decline of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and to prevent the complete extinguishing of any hope for a resumption of the peace process towards the resolution of this tragic and unjust conflict. We reiterate our appreciation to all the members of the Council.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“The excessive and large-scale demolition of homes and confiscation of property constitute grave breaches: war crimes. This must all be unequivocally condemned by the international community, and measures should be taken to ensure the cessation of all such breaches. Action should be taken to ensure the protection, the safety and the well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation. Action should also be taken to ensure that due reparations are made to those whose homes and properties have been destroyed.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“The occupation of this poverty-stricken area, the relentless killing of its civilian inhabitants, the wanton destruction of homes and shelters and the constant imposition of suffering on the masses there defy all logic and reason. These constitute transgressions against the most fundamental rights and dignity of persons, for which the violators must be held accountable and must be punished. The same applies to those who want to make sure that they destroy what is actually left in Gaza before they presumably leave it. As I said at the beginning of my statement, the wilful killing and injury of civilians constitutes a grave breach - a war crime. Without a doubt, therefore, Israel is committing war crimes against the Palestinian people repeatedly. The demolition of one home constitutes collective punishment.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“More than 10 years after Oslo, at least 35 per cent of Gaza remains under the full control of Israel, for the sheer enjoyment of 7,000 colonial Israeli settlers illegally transferred there, and the entirety of Gaza remains a killing field for the Israeli occupying forces to continue their target practice against the other human beings - the Palestinians - who have the misfortune to live there. Racist ideologies have always fuelled colonialist phenomena, and throughout history colonizers have always committed crimes against the colonized or occupied people. The occupation of the Palestinian territory since 1967 is no exception. However, it must be said that the occupation of Gaza takes the phenomenon to a different level.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“This is, of course, an attempt to isolate the Gaza Strip from the outside world, ensuring that it has no border with Egypt and thus ensuring the creation of a large prison for the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. I wish to impart some basic information about Gaza for the benefit of those who may be unaware of it. Gaza covers a total of only 360 square kilometres. It is a very poor and deprived area with no natural resources - not even water - and constitutes the most densely populated area in the world per square kilometre, with a population of more than 1.3 million people.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“With the ongoing military operation being carried out by the Israeli occupying forces in the Rafah area and the declarations made by Israeli officials that hundreds more Palestinian homes there are targeted for demolition, it is clearer than ever that the aim of those Israeli actions is the effective levelling of the Rafah camp and areas in the city of Rafah itself to allow for the enlargement of the so-called security zone by the occupying Power. Indeed, some of the statements made by Israeli officials are starkly clear about this very intention. These ongoing actions are part and parcel, and reveal the exact meaning, of Prime Minister Sharon's "disengagement plan".”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“It has been struggling to provide shelter to house all those who have been displaced and is still trying to repair and rebuild the thousands of refugee homes that have been damaged or destroyed since the start of this military campaign, while now faced with even more destruction and displacement. Yet, within its limited resources, UNRWA continues to provide tents, food and other relief for those devastated refugee families.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“Indeed, as home after home and building after building in Rafah are destroyed by the Israeli occupying forces, the entire community is being torn apart, piece by piece, and laid to ruin. Since September 2000, more than 1,300 homes in Rafah alone have been demolished or severely damaged and made unliveable, and more than 12,000 Palestinians have been made homeless. The humanitarian impact has been overwhelming. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been unable to keep pace with the widespread destruction being caused by the occupying Power within the refugee camps.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“As a result of these most recent assaults, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been made homeless, and hundreds of other Palestinians have been fleeing the area, fearing the impending destruction of their homes and property. Tragically, this is not the first time that the Rafah refugee camp and surrounding area have been besieged and attacked by the Israeli occupying forces. Since September 2000, the Rafah area has been severely targeted. As many here may recall, just over a year ago, a young American, Rachel Corrie, was brutally crushed by a huge armoured Caterpillar bulldozer while trying to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah. Regrettably, those responsible for her tragic death did not even have to explain. They were not held accountable, and the practice of bulldozing the homes of innocent civilians did not cease.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“During the past several days, the occupying Power has escalated this unlawful practice in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, including in particular in the Rafah refugee camp, causing excessive and vast destruction. Using armoured bulldozers, tanks and helicopter gunships, the Israeli occupying forces have raided the area, terrorizing the civilian population and destroying dozens of homes - even attacking some of them while the families were still inside. Reports indicate that in just the past few days more than 100 homes have been completely destroyed by the occupying forces in Rafah. Some estimates put the toll of destruction much higher, at about 120 homes, and fears continue to rise that even more will be destroyed as Israeli officials threaten to demolish hundreds more homes.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“In addition to the human losses and devastation it is causing, Israel continues to pursue its illegal and inhumane practice of destroying Palestinian homes and properties, causing widespread destruction and material losses and compounding the grief, suffering and humanitarian hardships of the Palestinian people. Thousands of homes and thousands of dunums of Palestinian land have been destroyed by the Israeli occupying forces throughout the occupied Palestinian territories since September 2000. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been made homeless, the majority of them Palestine refugees who have been displaced and dispossessed yet again.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“It has blatantly violated all norms and standards of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, and has completely ignored the pleas of the international community to cease its violations against the Palestinian civilian population and to adhere to international law and uphold its obligations. Why? Because that is the core of the mentality of this occupier; it is brutal, Vicious and inhumane in all actions against the occupied people, seeking to torment them and impose on them maximum loss, misery and suffering while pursuing its illegitimate aims of colonizing the land and expanding its boundaries.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“In that same time period, more than 40,000 Palestinians have also been wounded by the occupying forces. Palestinian hospitals and emergency rescue personnel, poorly equipped and in desperate need of supplies, have been unable to keep up with the growing number of casualties. Morgues have been unable to keep up with the rising number of dead. Funerals for the martyred have become a daily occurrence. The bloodshed and loss caused by the occupying Power has been great, because Israel has breached every single one of its obligations under international law as an occupying Power.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“Since the start of this month of May, the Israeli occupying forces have killed at least 96 Palestinians, including 28 children. This is the Palestinian death toll in less than three weeks' time. This has included brothers and sisters, fathers and sons. Families and lives are being destroyed by the occupying Power on a wholesale basis as it continues launching military assaults against the Palestinian population. The rate of death and destruction is staggering and continues to rise. From September 2000 to date, more than 3,000 Palestinians - men and women, children and the elderly - have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces. To be exact, at least 3,023 Palestinians have been killed. Many were the targets of extra-judicial killings by the occupying forces, and nearly 600 of the total number of Palestinians killed were children.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“These are war crimes, for which the perpetrators must be held accountable under international law. What we have seen today and in recent days and months - the blood of Palestinian civilians flowing in the streets, the demolition of their homes, and their constant humiliation, suffering and collective punishment - is exactly what the Palestinian people have been subjected to under nearly 37 years of Israel's belligerence. It has been a constant barrage of war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights Violations, for which the international community must hold this occupying Power responsible. The lawlessness and impunity of Israel must be brought to an end, and the Palestinian people must be accorded their rights under international law, including their right to protection as a civilian population under occupation.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“The occupying forces fired at least one missile and several tank shells at a large crowd of about 3,000 Palestinians marching from Rafah towards the Tel Sultan neighbourhood in Rafah in protest against the invasion and destruction of their neighbourhood and the killing of their families, friends and loved ones. These people were unarmed demonstrators, many of them schoolchildren. While the situation on the ground remains chaotic, as of now it is being reported that at least 10 Palestinian civilians were killed in this assault, most of them children; that more than 60 civilians were wounded, including women and children, more than 30 of them in critical condition; and that nine other Palestinians were also killed today in the same area. This is terrorism. This is State terrorism.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“In grave breach of the Convention, which governs military occupation, and in serious Violation of other relevant provisions of international law, Israel continues to use excessive and indiscriminate force against Palestinian civilians, killing men, women and children, and wantonly to destroy Palestinian homes and properties in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip. Left defenceless and unprotected by the international community, the Palestinian people continue to suffer the wrath of Israel's violent and lethal occupation policies and practices. The slaughter today of innocent Palestinian children by the Israeli occupying forces in the Rafah camp is the most recent and most telling illustration of the vicious and barbaric behaviour and actions of that occupying Power.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“Flagrant violations and grave breaches of international law - war crimes - are being committed by the occupying Power against the Palestinian civilian population every single day, including at this very moment. In this regard, I believe that it is necessary to recall before this Council that wilful killing, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or healt h, and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, are among those acts considered to constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“We also hope, of course, that Israel, the occupying Power, will comply with the resolution and with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War. First and foremost, however, it must immediately cease its ongoing military operations in the Rafah area. For our part, we stand ready, as we have emphasized in the past, to fulfil our obligations under the road map and to return to the negotiating table. (spoke in English) Over the past few days and throughout the period since I last addressed the Security Council on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, Israel, the occupying Power, has continued and intensified its barbaric military campaign against the Palestinian people.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): We are pleased to see you, Sir, the representative of the friendly country of Pakistan, presiding over the Security Council this month. Of course, we thank you for all your efforts. Our thanks also go to Germany, last month's President of the Council, and its Permanent Representative. Allow me to join you, Sir, in welcoming the presence of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to this important meeting. We express our appreciation to the Security Council for its adoption of resolution 1544 (2004) and hope that the Council will follow up on compliance with and implementation of its provisions, an essential matter under the United Nations Charter.”
2004-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4972 (2004) · source
“And all the while, Israel has been unconstrained in carrying out its unlawful and unjust policies and practices before the eyes of the international community. The time is way overdue for the international community to take urgent measures to address this ongoing tragedy. The Security Council must take the lead in this regard. The United Nations has a permanent responsibility towards the question of Palestine until it is resolved in all its aspects. The Council must take bold and courageous actions to ensure compliance with its own resolutions and adherence to international law and to bring an end to the cycle of violence and bloodshed that has prevented the two peoples and the entire region from the realization of genuine peace, freedom and security for so many decades.”
2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source
“Any parallels drawn between Israel's actions against the Palestinian people and the war being waged against global terrorism are inappropriate and completely erroneous, and Israel's constant attempts to draw such parallels and to exploit the international fight against terrorism must be rejected. What this conflict is about is the belligerent military occupation of another people and their land by a foreign Power for nearly four decades. It is about the unrelenting aggression and transgressions against the land and the people of Palestine by Israel, the occupying Power. It is about Israel's refusal to end that occupation, seeking all the while to acquire more land by force and to eliminate more of the indigenous population by wreaking widespread wanton death, destruction and misery in the attempt to fulfil its expansionist designs.”
2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source
“Indeed, it has often been reaffirmed in this very Council that there can be no military solution to this conflict and that there can be no alternative to adherence to international law and a negotiated, just and comprehensive political solution. Before I conclude, I wish to say a word on fighting terror - the repeated pretext used by Israel to justify all its actions, particularly the extrajudicial executions, against the Palestinian people. We reiterate in this Chamber that this is not what the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is about. Terrorism and violence constitute one of the dynamics of this conflict. It is a dynamic that has taken on more prominence only in recent years, but it does not constitute the conflict itself.”
2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source
“As such, the content makes the work of the Quartet extremely difficult, if not impossible, to carry out. Even with regard to Gaza, the proposal falls far short of any real withdrawal, keeping control of international borders, airspace and water in the hands of the occupier and maintaining the so-called "right" to military attacks against Gaza. This is an extremely negative and dangerous development, which the international community must confront. We should reaffirm the rule of international law, reaffirm the principle of the two-State solution based on the 1967 borders and reaffirm the right of all States and peoples to live in peace and security, free from attacks, terror and destruction.”
2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source