YouSaid · the spoken record

GAMBARI

lines on the record: 1,141
first: 1992-07-15
most recent: 2012-07-24
sittings or episodes: 98
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

“In our view, and with the threat of even greater violence looming over Lebanon's political horizon, it is imperative that the parties do their utmost to work together for Lebanon to make progress towards the important political and socio-economic objectives and challenges that lie ahead. To this end, the Secretary- General's Personal Representative for Lebanon, Geir Pedersen, continues to encourage all the parties to return to the negotiating table with the aim of finding a consensus. The cessation of hostilities with Israel continues to hold, with no major violations of the Blue Line. However, almost daily and often provocative Israeli overflights over Lebanon, including mock attacks on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops, continue, despite repeated United Nations calls for an end to these violations.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Earlier today, Pierre Gemayel, Lebanon's Minister of Industry and one of the leaders of the 14 March coalition, was killed by gunmen, who opened fire as his convoy drove through a Christian neighbourhood near Beirut. This assassination occurred in the midst of an increasingly complex political environment. From 6 to 11 November, Lebanese political leaders engaged in a process of national consultations initiated by the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri. In four sessions, the leaders discussed critical issues facing the country but could not, unfortunately, reach a consensus. This led, several days later, to the resignation from the Government of five Shia ministers and one Christian minister.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Moreover, it has a direct and far-reaching impact on movement and access: many of the impediments to Palestinian movement in the West Bank exist primarily to provide security for illegal settlements as opposed to monitoring movement into Israel proper. Israel also continued construction on the barrier. The Secretary-General's report (A/ES-10/361) on the establishment of a register of damage related to Israel's construction of the wall was submitted to the General Assembly on 17 October. The report presents the institutional framework required for the register of damage, the establishment of which was requested by the General Assembly. I now turn to developments in Lebanon. The political and security situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“In fact, the number of obstacles has increased from 400 one year ago to 542 today, many of these manned by soldiers. This month, the Israeli press reported that the Government of Israel and the Settlers Council had agreed on a plan to evacuate 15 illegal outposts, partially evacuate four and legalize eight. However, that report has not received official confirmation. An official denial would help to dispel any lingering impression that the Government plans to sanction the establishment of a further eight settlements in contravention of previous agreements. Despite the stated intention of the Government to evacuate outposts in accordance with the Road Map, no action has been taken to date in that regard. The lack of action to freeze settlement activities in response to repeated Quartet appeals is a matter of serious concern.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Over the past year, Palestinians have been allowed to export on average only 18 truckloads of produce per day, a small fraction of even the lower of the two targets. It should be noted here that the targets were calculated on the basis of minimum export levels needed to prevent the further decline of the Palestinian economy and suffering of the population. No Palestinian worker has been allowed to cross at Erez to access jobs in Israel since March 2006, and no progress has been reported on bus or truck convoys between Gaza and the West Bank. Similarly, there has been no progress reported on plans to rebuild the seaport and the airport. One year after signing the agreement, the Government of Israel still has not 3 presented its plan to reduce internal closure measures inside the West Bank.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Implementation of that Agreement, intended to promote peaceful economic development and to improve the situation in the Gaza Strip, has been limited. Despite the stationing of European Union (EU) observers, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been open for only 58 per cent of scheduled opening hours over the past year and for only 9 per cent of the scheduled time since June of this year. The Karni crossing has been open for only 44 per cent of scheduled opening hours, with opening hours changing on an almost daily basis. Gaza export targets, which the Agreement had set at 150 trucks per day by end of 2005, rising to 400 trucks per day by end of 2006, remain just that: targets.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Turning to Israeli political developments, Prime Minister Olmert moved to strengthen his coalition at the end of October by including the Israel Our Home party in the Government and by appointing Avigdor Lieberman, the party's Chairman, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of Strategic Affairs. This appointment has caused concern in the peace camp in Israel and alarm among Palestinians. Prime Minister Olmert visited the United States this month and held talks with Administration officials in Washington on a number of issues, including, of course, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Regarding movement and access, I would like to observe that one year ago, on 15 November, the Agreement on Movement and Access was concluded.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Palestinian Authority revenues have fallen mainly because Israel refuses to hand over indirect taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, amounting to approximately half a billion dollars. The fiscal crisis has contributed to a serious decline in the delivery of public services. A large majority of public schools in the West Bank remain closed, and West Bank public health facilities offer 06-62387 only emergency treatment, chemotherapy and dialysis. Stocks of essential drugs and medical disposables throughout the occupied Palestinian territory have been depleted, and health centres in Gaza have been hampered by electricity shortages.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Negotiations encompass a number of outstanding issues, including the release of the Israeli soldier who remains captive in Gaza. The official nomination of the next Palestinian prime minister is expected to occur only if and when the entire agreement is concluded. The Palestinian Authority's unprecedented fiscal crisis looms in the background of these political negotiations. The Palestinian Authority received only $500 million between March and September, which amounts to only 40 per cent of its revenues for the same period last year. The wage bill has continued to increase, as has net lending, reflecting non-payment of bills by consumers.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has continued negotiations on a national unity government with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, and there now appears to be an understanding in principle on the elements for the composition and programme of a new government. Prime Minister Haniyeh announced on 10 November that he would be ready to step down as Prime Minister in order to "let the siege be lifted to end the suffering of the Palestinian people". President Abbas also met with representatives of Palestinian factions yesterday with the aim of establishing a cessation of militant attacks against Israeli targets, in exchange for a cessation of attacks by Israel. Despite the reported progress, announcement of a full agreement on the government is not necessarily imminent.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Palestinian militants fired over 200 rockets and mortars this month into the western Negev region, 06-62387 including several that struck just as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, was visiting Sderot earlier today. The rockets have caused one death, multiple injuries and significant damage. Schools in the area have been closed intermittently since October. The town of Sderot, in particular, has borne the brunt of these indiscriminate attacks. Israel also expressed concern that weapons and explosives continue to be smuggled into Gaza, enabling militants to continue and possibly intensify their attacks against Israeli targets.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“In addition to the high number of human casualties, the IDF operation in Beit Hanoun resulted in an estimated $3.7 million in damage to local infrastructure, according to United Nations Development Programme figures. As the Council is aware, the General Assembly, meeting in emergency special session, adopted a resolution on Beit Hanoun (General Assembly resolution ES-10/16), which includes a request for the Secretary-General to send a fact-finding mission and report back in 30 days. In the West Bank and Gaza, a combined total of at least 128 Palestinians were killed and over 380 were injured during the past month, including at least 19 children. One Israeli soldier and one civilian were killed, and many injuries were reported.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“Mr. Gambari: This past month, we have witnessed an alarming escalation in violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians, as well as political developments in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory and Lebanon, almost all of which have a negative impact on the prospects for peace and stability in the region. There have been intense confrontations between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian militants, as the IDF's rolling military operation in Gaza enters its sixth month. The operation is aimed at curbing the launching of rockets by Palestinian militants against Israeli civilian targets. The Council has already been briefed on the tragic events in Beit Hanoun, in which a week-long Israeli incursion included an artillery attack that killed more than 20 Palestinian civilians.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“There are many concrete steps, some immediate, which need to be taken in order to get out of the current crisis and back towards a political path. As the Secretary- General stressed on 11 August, something more is needed: a renewed international effort in which the various crises in the region are addressed not in isolation and not bilaterally, but as part of a holistic and comprehensive effort, sanctioned and championed by the Security Council, to bring peace and stability to the region as a whole. The tragedy we have witnessed in the last month should, in our view, be converted to an opportunity to take prompt, concerted action by all parties to resolve the problems and issues in the region, which have confronted us, without resolution, for far too long.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“The purpose is not to assign blame; no useful purpose is ever served by that. I also recognize fully that making peace is not easy. But the absence of a credible political horizon, while in large part a consequence of decisions, actions and inaction by the parties themselves, is also partly a cause of some of those decisions, those actions and that inaction. We must also remind ourselves, as the Group of Eight stated at its summit in July, that the absence of a comprehensive solution is the root cause of the region's problems. Progress towards a two-State solution would undoubtedly facilitate the resolution of conflicts elsewhere in the region, and vice versa. The stalled state of the peace process should therefore be regarded as unacceptable, both on its own merits and because of its broader regional implications.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“This trend, already plain before the recent conflict between Hizbollah and Israel, may well have been strengthened by it. Few people on either side believe that an end to the conflict is in sight. On one side, the result could well be further radicalization and support for violence and terror, while, on the other, it could well be support for harsh and excessive military action and unilateral measures. Positions may thus be hardening, and they could harden further unless a credible political process is somehow revived. I have described the reality of the peace process today by seeking to describe what has actually happened in the past 12 months. I have given reasons why, in our view, we have reached this sorry juncture in the Middle East peace process so that we can reorganize and address the challenges ahead of us all.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Rafah has been closed for all but two days of the past seven weeks, preventing people from leaving or entering Gaza. Thousands of Palestinian expatriate workers, who had come home for family visits, are at risk of losing their visas and jobs if they are not allowed to leave Gaza to return to the countries where they work. Other aspects of the Agreement on Movement and Access, including the Gaza-West Bank link and progress on the airport and seaport, are dormant. The sixth measure of the state of the peace process is perhaps the most worrying development of the past year, difficult to quantify but easy to discern. It has been in the attitudes of ordinary women and men. Opinion polls suggest a woeful decline in confidence in the peace process and in the prospects for a negotiated settlement on both sides.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“The single biggest impediment to Palestinian economic growth, according to the World Bank, is the closure regime. The number of Israel Defense Forces- manned and unmanned physical obstacles in the West Bank has increased by 43 per cent since Israel's disengagement from Gaza, despite the terms of the Agreement on Movement and Access, which are designed to achieve exactly the contrary. Meanwhile, the Rafah and Karni crossings have been only partially operational, at rates far lower than foreseen under the Agreement on Movement and Access, in the light of Israeli security concerns. Although the recent trends have been positive, at least for imports, our monthly reports show that, during 2006, less than 10 per cent of Gaza's minimum daily export targets under the Agreement have been achieved.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“A fifth measure, in our opinion, is the economic situation, since development is a building-block of peace. The impoverishment in the Palestinian territories is more severe now than it has ever been, including during the period at the height of the second intifada. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, some 70 per cent of Palestinians are living below the poverty threshold, and 85 per cent of the population in Gaza is currently receiving food aid. One simple indicator of increasing Palestinian desperation is the fact that the number of applicants to the emergency job creation programme of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has doubled since December 2005 .”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“The barrier, large parts of which are on occupied Palestinian territory, is now 51 per cent complete, despite the July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. Once it is finished, in addition to the 180,000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem, approximately 60,500 West Bank Palestinians will reside in areas between the barrier and the Green Line, with restricted access to health, education and employment services in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, the combination of settlement activity, including in the E-1 area, barrier construction and other administrative measures points to the encirclement of the city that is intended to serve one day as the capital of two States, while effectively dividing the West Bank into two separate geographical areas.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Meanwhile, no progress has been made in securing the release of Corporal Shalit, despite calls for his unconditional release. His parents have not even received a "sign of life", which is the least his captors could provide. Nor have the long-standing efforts of President Abbas to secure Palestinian prisoner releases yet borne fruit, despite his unrelenting efforts. A fourth reason for the lack of progress towards a negotiated two-State solution is the creation of facts on the ground that would appear to prejudice final-status issues. Settlement activities continue, with some 3,000 units reportedly under construction within existing settlements. And despite several statements of intent which have been reported to the Security Council, unauthorized settlement outposts have not been dismantled.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“No Israeli civilians have yet been killed by those rockets since disengagement, but there have been injuries. If the attacks continue, it will only be a matter of time before there are fatalities. The cycle of attack and counter-attack only leads to increased human suffering, which is intolerable, on all sides. As an illustration, in the past year a total of 41 Israelis have been killed, and nearly 480 injured, by Palestinian violence. In the same period over 450 Palestinians have been killed, and over 2,500 injured, by Israeli Violence. One hundred and ninety of those deaths occurred since the capture of Corporal Shalit, on 25 June; meaning that the rate of Palestinian casualties is comparable to the rate during Operation Defensive Shield, at the height of the second intifada.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Israeli land, air and sea operations, despite being said to be aimed at militants or military targets, have killed large numbers of 3 civilians, including many children, and have caused heavy damage to civilian infrastructure such as private homes, bridges and power plants - particularly in Gaza, where violence is a daily fact of life. In the West Bank, too, Israeli incursions are a regular occurrence, particularly in Nablus and Jenin, often causing fatalities. There have also been several Palestinian suicide attacks in Israeli cities over the past 12 months. The last was in April, but Israeli authorities report that they have foiled many other attempted operations. Israeli civilians living in towns and kibbutzes near Gaza have endured regular Qassam rocket attacks.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“They do not generate economic growth and they do not provide hope for Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority has shown major weaknesses in the past on security and on fiscal management. But today its capacity to deliver is in rapid decline. The continuation of that trend could lead to the collapse of a key provider, stabilizer and interlocutor in the region, to say nothing of Palestinian hopes for a Palestinian State. A third measure of the state of the peace process is the most terrible of all, that is, suffering, destruction and death from Violence.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Ministries increasingly resort to United Nations assistance for fuel, transport support and office equipment. As an indicator of the deteriorating position of the Palestinian Authority, no annual budget was published for the year 2006. The Hamas Government's approach to running ministries- for example, its promotion of Hamas members into senior civil service positions - may have also contributed to disillusionment. There have also been constant tensions between the presidency and the Government over the security services. Mechanisms such as the Temporary International Mechanism and the consolidated appeal of the United Nations itself have been put in place to ensure that basic goods and services are delivered and that minimum cash payments are made to the needy. But those mechanisms cannot replace the Palestinian Authority.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Palestinian Authority workers, who support a third of the Palestinian population, have received only a fraction of their salaries over the past six months. Absenteeism in some areas of the civil service has now reached over 40 per cent. Restrictions on movement mean that the Palestinian Cabinet has actually never met in one place, and that ministers are confined either to Gaza or to the West Bank. Moreover, several cabinet members, including the deputy Prime Minister, and now both the Speaker and the Secretary-General of the parliament, are in Israeli detention. Other ministers are in hiding or abroad, leaving ministries without policy direction and creating disillusionment among the managers and employees who remain at their posts. Several ministry buildings in Gaza have been damaged by Israeli shelling.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“While the international community praised aspects of the Palestinian Authority's response during the disengagement process, the Authority's performance in the months following disengagement was at best mixed. The wage bill continued to grow as the Palestinian Authority recruited more officers into the security forces; security in Gaza deteriorated; and rocket attacks on Israel continued. By December of last year, key donors were reconsidering their support to the Palestinian Authority's budget, which was already depleted. The Authority's domestic revenues have plunged further since the January elections. The cumulative worth of value-added-tax transfers collected by Israel but withheld from the Palestinian Authority will be 06-47530 between $480 and $560 million by next month.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“But Israel has not transferred approximately $500 million it owes to the Palestinian Authority under the Paris Protocol, and has itself failed to implement road map obligations, including the freezing of settlement activity and the removal of outposts. Meanwhile, it has been planning for the future based on unilateral moves to disengage from parts of the West Bank while consolidating Israeli presence in other parts. The second measure of the stagnation of the peace process is the degradation of the Palestinian Authority, the most tangible symbol of Palestinian hopes for statehood, as well as of Israeli hopes for a viable partner. The Palestinian Authority was already facing serious difficulties at the end of 2005.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Although factional tensions persist, a broad spectrum of political and other Palestinian forces are currently engaged in a dialogue to put in place a national unity Government with a new programme. In the meantime, While efforts to strengthen Palestinian border management and the security services that fall under the purview of the President continue, the Palestinian reform agenda is largely frozen, and with it Palestinian compliance with road map obligations. On the Israeli side, the coalition Government has stated a readiness to commence negotiations if the Palestinian Authority accepts the basic principles of the peace process and implements road map obligations.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Sadly, those hopes have not been fulfilled. Far from advancing towards the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we have seen that vision slip further away during the past year. There are, in our opinion, several reasons for that unfortunate development. 06-47530 The first is the political positions and actions of the parties. While President Abbas remains firmly committed to his platform of peace, the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, appointed pursuant to the 25 January elections, has not fully committed itself to the basic principles of the peace process: non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“In the light of the emphasis, in paragraph 18 of resolution 1701 (2006), on the need for comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on Security Council resolutions - starkly highlighted by events of the last two months - it is necessary, in our View, to step back from the events of the past month and consider the state of the peace process in the region in the light of the developments of the past year. For that reason, I will not report in detail on the events of the past month alone, serious as they have been. This time last year, Israel was disengaging from Gaza and part of the northern West Bank. Led by the Quartet, the international community was working to ensure that that step would lead the parties back to the road map, and to the revival of the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“Mr. Gambari: Last Friday, the Secretary-General reported on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) (see S/2006/670). The Council has been regularly briefed on the situation in Lebanon and northern Israel. Indeed, the Secretary-General's Envoys Terje Roed-Larsen and Vijay Nambiar are today concluding meetings in Israel, after earlier consultations in Lebanon, as part of the process of preparing the report requested by the Council in paragraph 10 of resolution 1701 (2006). Today's briefing will therefore be focused on the Palestinian issue.”
2006-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5515 (2006) · source
“The team will then travel to Israel, Lebanon and Syria, and other places as may be deemed necessary by the Secretary-General. The team will report to the Secretary-General upon its return to New York. I believe, of course, that the Secretariat will continue to keep the Security Council constantly briefed on further developments.”
2006-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5489 (2006) · source
“Vijay Nambiar, and comprises two other senior United Nations political officers, Mr. Alvaro de Soto and Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen. The mission will endeavour to contribute to deescalating the situation by conveying the Secretary- General's call for the release of the captured soldiers, for restraint by all parties and for a ceasefire. All parties will also be encouraged to use their influence to defuse the situation. In all instances, the team will also emphasize the message of the Secretary-General to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The mission arrives in Cairo today, where it will conduct meetings with Egyptian officials and hold consultations with the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States.”
2006-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5489 (2006) · source
“Reckless and dangerous actions will only lead to further bloodshed and further instability, inflaming an already highly volatile region. In this regard we must give support to the Government of Lebanon, and we are encouraged by the recent statement by the Lebanese Cabinet which reaffirms its commitment to international resolutions and respect for the Blue Line. We are emphasizing to all concerned that a qualitative escalation of the conflict is in no one's interest and that the space for diplomatic initiatives is quickly closing. All parties should do their utmost to ensure that that space remains open. In the light of these alarming developments, the Secretary-General has decided to send a mission to the Middle East to exercise good offices and help defuse the major crisis in the region. The team is led by his Special Adviser, Mr.”
2006-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5489 (2006) · source
“In particular, they have an obligation to exercise caution and to respect the proportionality principle in all military operations so as to prevent unnecessary suffering, particularly among the civilian population. The Secretary-General has been working ceaselessly on this evolving and dangerous situation. He calls on all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and international agreements, and he has been in close consultations with leaders around the world to find an urgent solution to the crisis, to urge restraint and to prevent the situation from spiralling even further out of control. We hope that the parties heed that counsel, and that regional players who have influence will do likewise.”
2006-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5489 (2006) · source
“Mr. Gambari: The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed at the escalation of violence in Lebanon and 3 Israel. Parts of Lebanon are under blockade and heavy Israeli military action, while Israel is being subjected to indiscriminate attacks by Hizbollah forces. Escalations have occurred on both sides. We are particularly alarmed at the suffering that has been unleashed on civilians on both sides. The Secretary-General condemns all actions which target civilians or which unduly endanger them owing to their disproportionate or indiscriminate character. The parties should be reminded that, under the law of armed conflict, attacks must not be directed against civilian objects.”
2006-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5489 (2006) · source
“The positive signal sent by the Quartet's decision of last weekend to channel assistance to the Palestinian people - which we hope will be rapidly supported and implemented by all concerned - gives added weight to domestic Palestinian voices calling for restraint and dialogue. We hope that those voices will be heard and heeded in the interest of peace, security and well-being for the people of the region. Finally, it is vital that Israeli and Palestinian leaders continue their efforts to pave the way for meaningful negotiations. In that respect, we take heart from the fact that opinion polls continue to underscore the desire of both peoples for a two-State solution and for that goal to be achieved peacefully and through negotiations. The United Nations will continue to work with its partners towards that goal. There is no alternative.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The United Nations is particularly disturbed at the killing of so many Palestinian civilians in Gaza. I reiterate the Secretary-General's repeated calls for respect for international humanitarian law so that civilians are neither targeted nor put at grave and foreseeable risk. Restraint on the part of everyone is all the more important given the faint rays of hope that we have begun to see in recent days. The intra-Palestinian agreement on integrating the special forces into the Palestinian Authority payroll, the efforts to narrow differences in the Palestinian national dialogue and the decisions of the parties not to escalate to levels from which it might be difficult to pull back are worthy of note - although this assessment must be tempered with an awareness that violence continues.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The Department of Political Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme continue their support for that important electoral reform process. The eighth round of the Lebanese national dialogue convened on 8 June. Discussions continued on a national defence strategy for Lebanon, with new proposals being brought to the table for further consideration. Lebanese leaders also discussed measures to reduce the level of political tension in the country following the demonstrations in Beirut on 1 and 2 June. We commend Lebanon's leaders for that 06-39820 initiative, which again illustrates the benefits of a dialogue to address issues of national concern. I have reported in detail the serious deterioration on the ground that we have seen this past month in the Middle East.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The situation along the Blue Line has remained calm since the 28 May incidents. That sudden deterioration underscores that it is critically important that the Government of Lebanon exert all efforts to expand its effective authority over all of its territory and control the use of force, in order to prevent violations of the Blue Line. There have been 19 Israeli air violations of the Blue Line - not counting the seven that occurred on 28 May during the exchange of fire - some deep into Lebanese territory. The Israeli authorities should halt such air violations and respect the Blue Line. On 1 June, the commission charged with developing proposals for reform of the electoral law submitted its recommendations to Prime Minister Siniora. That is a first step towards electoral reform, which is a main priority of the Government of Lebanon.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“Israeli jets responded by bombing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) positions in the Bekaa valley and in Na'ameh, south of Beirut, reportedly killing one PFLP-GC member and wounding several others. The same afternoon, unidentified sniper fire from the Lebanese side of the Line wounded one Israeli soldier. Israel responded with air strikes against Hizbollah positions across southern Lebanon, killing one Hizbollah member and wounding two Lebanese civilians. Hizbollah responded with rocket, missile, mortar and small-arms fire. Senior United Nations representatives on the ground intervened with the parties and worked in unison to bring about a ceasefire. The Secretary- General called for maximum restraint, while commending the Governments of both Israel and Lebanon for avoiding a further escalation.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“According to the Court, during earlier hearings the State concealed the fact that the existing route was determined partly by a master plan for expanding the settlement, and not solely by security considerations. The Minister of Defence has reportedly ordered a review of the route of the barrier so as to reduce its impact on Palestinian daily life. There have been several worrying developments in Lebanon. On 26 May, a senior member of Islamic Jihad and his brother were killed in an explosion in the southern city of Sidon. The Lebanese Government alleges that Israel was responsible for that explosion; Israel has denied it. Two days later, in the morning of 28 May, rockets were launched from southern Lebanon by unidentified armed elements against an IDF position 8 kilometres south of the Blue Line, wounding an Israeli soldier.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“Israeli settlement activities continue, despite the road map and recent Quartet expressions of concern. According to a report by the Israeli non-governmental organization Peace Now, approximately 3,000 units are currently under construction in the West Bank, while construction of a police station in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim is continuing. Barrier construction is also continuing, despite the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. On 23 May, the Israeli High Court of Justice approved the route of the section of the barrier in Jerusalem that passes between Ma'ale Adumim and the village of El-Azariyeh. On 15 June, the Israeli High Court ordered the dismantling of five kilometres of the barrier east of the settlement of Tzofin.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The movement of humanitarian and commercial goods to the Gaza Strip has improved somewhat since the end of May, with export figures rising to 21 truckloads per day after 22 May. Import figures for May indicate that, on average, about 250 truckloads per day are shipped to the Gaza Strip, allowing for the replenishment of basic food stocks that were near depletion. We hope that that trend will continue. Even given the improvement, however, organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the World Food Programme still face significant cost increases of approximately $120,000 per month as a result of long delays in returning empty containers from the Gaza Strip to the Ashdod port. I turn now to settlements and the barrier.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“With regard to movement and access, I would like to observe that, owing to increasingly strict Israeli security measures, United Nations national staff have not been able to pass through the Erez crossing to and from Gaza since February, while new measures are increasingly impeding the movement of international staff as well. Movement of United Nations personnel, particularly of national staff, has also been more difficult this year between Jerusalem, where most United Nations organizations have their headquarters, and the rest of the West Bank, where aid is needed. The United Nations continues to raise those concerns with the Israeli authorities, with little sign of improvement to date.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The Secretary-General is pleased, however, that the Quartet endorsed, on 17 June, a temporary international mechanism developed by the European Union to facilitate needs-based assistance directly to the Palestinian people, including essential equipment, supplies and support for health services; support for the uninterrupted supply of fuel and utilities; and allowances to poor Palestinians. For his part, the Secretary-General looks to donors, to other international organizations and to Israel - bearing in mind its responsibilities - to support the mechanism, so that it can become operational quickly and effectively.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“Unless arrested, continued economic decline, as forecast by the World Bank, combined with a degradation of public services, will have significant humanitarian impact and may also have longer-term consequences on prospects for peace and security. As long as the Palestinian Authority is unable fully to cover institutional costs, services will deteriorate, and many Palestinian Authority staff may be forced to find alternative sources of income if the fiscal crisis continues. The departure of qualified staff would result in immediate and long-term damage to the administration and delivery of services.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“The Government of Israel's plan to spend $11 million of Palestinian VAT and customs revenues on medicines for the Palestinian Authority has not been realized. 3 The economy is also experiencing decline. Palestinian gross domestic product fell by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2006. Gaza is being hit harder than the West Bank by the current crisis. Almost 40 per cent of those employed in Gaza work for the Palestinian Authority. Unemployment in Gaza has also risen by six percentage points, to 34 per cent, in the first quarter of the year, prompted partly by a total moratorium on Gaza workers crossing into Israel. There are many reports of people selling possessions or going without food staples, such as meat, in order to subsist.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source
“In addition, a further 90,000 employees each received on Monday, 19 June, about $300 in advances from the Palestinian Authority, using cash brought by officials and disbursed through local post offices. The remaining staff -approximately 40,000 people - have received no salary payments since February. The delivery of some Palestinian Authority services has been interrupted. The Ministry of Social Affairs was unable to make cash payments to 47,000 people facing particular hardship. The main Gaza hospital was forced to halve the number of surgeries for three weeks owing to shortages of essential medicines. Normal surgeries have now resumed following intervention by the humanitarian organization CARE.”
2006-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5472 (2006) · source