YouSaid · the spoken record

Mladenov

lines on the record: 1,041
first: 2013-11-25
most recent: 2020-09-29
sittings or episodes: 54
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

“During the attack, one Israeli jet was hit, injuring two pilots, which further prompted Israel to attack what it described as "12 military objectives" inside Syria. I urge all sides to work towards easing tensions in that highly volatile area. I now turn briefly to Lebanon. Heightened rhetoric was exchanged between Israel and Lebanon over disputed maritime areas. The United Nations continues to call on the sides to act responsibly, avoid security risks and explore with the support of the United Nations ways to resolve the issue. Preparations continue for May parliamentary elections in Lebanon and for the upcoming second Rome conference and the Cedre conference to support the security sector and economy, respectively on 15 March and 5 April.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Throughout this period, the international community has provided aid and humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering and to rebuild what was destroyed in three devastating conflicts. It is time to break this cycle. It is time to return Gaza to the control of the legitimate Palestinian Authority, for there can be no Palestinian State without Palestinian unity. Those who stand in the way of reconciliation hurt the Palestinian national cause, and the price will be paid by generations of ordinary people. The security situation in the Golan is also a growing concern. A worrying escalation occurred on 10 February, when the Israel Defense Forces destroyed what they identified as an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle, which had reportedly entered its airspace from Syria. Shortly thereafter, Israeli aircraft targeted a Syrian airbase.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Absent immediate steps to address the humanitarian crisis and to revive the economy, we will face a total institutional and economic collapse in Gaza. This is not an alarmist prediction; it is a fact. I welcome the proposal of the Palestinian Government to incorporate into its 2018 budget some 20,000 civil service employees in Gaza. A positive outcome, however, is contingent, inter alia, upon the collection oftaxes, the payment of salaries, the return of Government administration and, ultimately, security control of Gaza. I urge all sides to intensify their engagement and to move forward in this process. For a decade, 2 million people have lived under the full control of Hamas, with crippling Israeli closures and movement and access restrictions.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“I reiterate the Secretary- General's appreciation to the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar for their support in dealing with the emergency. Their immediate response to our appeal has helped stave off a further deterioration. I am encouraged by the trilateral meeting I had last week with Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah and Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Mordechai, in which we focused on the humanitarian problems in Gaza. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the temporary Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and agreed that there is a need for a joint review to improve its functionality, transparency and predictability. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalates, the implementation of the Egyptian-brokered intra-Palestinian agreement has stalled.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“This is the sixth demolition or confiscation in the school since February 2016. Overall, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 44 schools in the occupied West Bank are currently at risk of demolition. I urge Israel to cease this practice. I briefed the Council last week on the situation in Gaza. Month after month, we have raised the alarm about the humanitarian, economic and ecological calamity underway. It bears repeating that the situation is unsustainable. Continuing power cuts of up to 20 hours per day severely undermine the provision of basic services. Without additional immediate fuel deliveries, the situation could deteriorate, with dramatic consequences.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“I strongly denounce the expansion of the settlement enterprise as compensation for Israeli deaths. Settlement construction is not a morally appropriate way to respond to murder. On 12 February, Israel also advanced two settlement plans for some 85 housing units near Bethlehem. I reiterate the long- standing United Nations position that all settlement- related activities are illegal under international law and a substantial obstacle to peace, and I call on Israel to seize and reverse such policies. The demolition and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures also continued, with 31 structures affected, resulting in 33 Palestinians being displaced. Particularly concerning was the demolition of two donor-funded classrooms serving Palestinian children in the Bedouin community of Abu Nuwar.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“These were the discovery of 12 roadside bombs in the West Bank on 26 January and the foiled attempt on 4 February to smuggle, within a shipment of medical equipment, a dual-use component used to make explosives into Gaza. I also note that the trial of 17-year-old Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi started on 13 February behind closed doors. She has been detained on remand for two months to date. As stated in my last briefing (see S/PV.8167), the detention of a child must be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible time. Throughout the reporting period, Israel's illegal settlement-related activities continued unabated. In response to last month's killing of a resident of the illegal Havat Gilad outpost, on 4 February, Israel approved the establishment of a new settlement to absorb its residents.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Prior to this latest flare-up, during the course of the past month three more rockets were fired towards Israel, with two Israeli retaliatory airstrikes, all without injuries. I encourage the international community to join the United Nations in calling on militants in Gaza to refrain from such provocations and end the building of tunnels and the firing of rockets towards Israel. Such actions and the response they elicit only risk the lives of Palestinians and Israelis, undermine peace efforts and increase the likelihood of another devastating conflict. I also take this opportunity to note the need to resolve the matter of the missing Israeli soldiers and civilians who are being held in Gaza. Two additional incidents highlight the risk of escalation and the need for continued Israeli-Palestinian security coordination.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“I urge Israeli security forces to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid casualties in such circumstances. I call upon all sides to reject violence, condemn terror, ensure accountability and work to reduce tensions. In recent days we have also witnessed dangerous security incidents in and around Gaza. On 17 February, four Israeli soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device placed at the Gaza fence. This was followed by Israeli airstrikes on some 18 Hamas targets, while Palestinian militants fired two rockets into Israel - one causing damage to a house in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. Two Palestinian teens were killed by Israeli security forces while reportedly attempting to approach the fence.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“As the peace process falters and the gulf between the two sides widens, Palestinians and Israelis continue to suffer the violent consequences on the ground. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in various incidents across the occupied Palestinian territory, and one Israeli civilian was stabbed and killed by a Palestinian in the West Bank. Three of the Palestinians killed died during violent clashes with Israeli security forces; one of them was a 16-year-old, shot near Ramallah. He was the fourth child killed in such circumstances since the beginning of the year. I once again emphasize that the use of force must be calibrated and that lethal force should be used only as a last resort, with any resulting fatalities properly investigated by the authorities.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Maintaining support for Palestine refugees is fundamental to the pursuit of peace and stability in the region. I reiterate my ongoing concern over the sizeable funding shortfall of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), despite the welcome flexibility of some Member States in accelerating the disbursement of their funding commitments. In addition, the emergency appeals launched on 30 January seek to raise $800 million for the West Bank and Gaza, as well as for the Syria regional crisis, to meet the essential needs of some 1.5 million highly vulnerable people. I encourage Member States to consider urgently providing new funding for UNRWA's critical requirements.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Secondly, efforts must continue to seek implementation of concrete and transformative steps on the ground - including ending Israeli settlement expansion and advancing policy shifts, particularly in Area C - consistent with a transition to greater Palestinian civil authority, as called for in the 2016 report of the Middle East Quartet. Thirdly, the Palestinian Authority must continue to advance institution-building and service delivery to the Palestinian people and work towards bringing Gaza back under its control. Lastly, it is critical that any future peace proposal focus on the two-State solution and all final-status issues, as per prior agreements and relevant United Nations resolutions. Failure to do so could have dangerous repercussions.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“At that meeting, I was encouraged by widespread, unequivocal messages reaffirming support for the two-State solution, in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions, and the need to resume meaningful negotiations over all final-status issues, including the status of Jerusalem. Participants also made a critical commitment to undertaking efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including support for projects focused on water, electricity and economic recovery. My message to all was clear. First, we must clearly reaffirm that sustainable peace requires a two- State solution, which can be achieved only through a negotiated process. Israelis and Palestinians have defined the final-status issues and only they, together, can determine their resolution.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“They believe the political odds are turning in their favour. Day after day they are emboldened. Hindering peace are also those who push facts on the ground and who promote unilateral moves blocking the pathway back to the negotiating table. None of that will bring us closer to resolving the conflict. None of it will respond to the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to statehood or the Israeli longing for security. It will only drive us farther down the road of confrontation, suffering and a one-State reality of perpetual occupation. Last month the international community discussed key priorities to advance the goal of peace at the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of International Assistance to Palestinians.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: We meet this month as regional tensions are taking an increasingly perilous turn. Fighting in Syria is increasing, endangering de-escalation arrangements and regional stability, as well as undermining efforts for a political solution. Despite the positive news from Iraq and the defeat of Da'esh, much of the Middle East continues to be in the grips of an ongoing human tragedy of immense proportions. Against that backdrop, and after over a century of hostilities, including 50 years of continued military occupation, Israelis and Palestinians are still no closer to peace. Many have lost hope that they will see it in their lifetimes. The enemies of peace are growing more confident by the day. They see every failure of the forces of moderation as a win for the forces of radicalization.”
2018-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8183 (2018) · source
“As far as Gaza is concerned, I call on the international community to support efforts to return the Strip to the control of the Palestinian Authority. If the process stalls, the people of Gaza will face increasingly desperate conditions and will lose hope of any progress. I commend Egypt for its leadership role and continued commitment to this process. We can wait no longer to reverse the current negative trajectory of the conflict. Every illegal settlement advancement, every person killed and every failed effort in Gaza makes it more difficult for Palestinians and Israelis to overcome their divisions, rebuild trust and invest in the goal ofresolving the conflict. It is time to break the destructive pattern and begin again to lay the foundations of peace.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Absent a credible proposal that could become the basis of final-status negotiations, the international community must continue to build the conditions necessary for a resumption of talks. We must also reaffirm the international consensus that the two-State solution remains the only viable option for a just and sustainable end to the conflict. We must be unwavering in this position. At the same time, it is vital to maintain support for strengthening Palestinian institutions and enhancing service delivery to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Allowing the Palestinian project to backslide at this delicate stage risks further destabilizing an already precarious situation. The recent cuts to the funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East only reinforce these concerns.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Following the stated intention by the Israel Defense Forces to conduct infrastructure work south of the Blue Line, including in certain areas where Lebanese officials have raised strong objections, UNIFIL's leadership has been engaged with both parties through the established liaison and coordination arrangements. The matter will be discussed at the next tripartite meeting. In closing, I wish to emphasize the gravity of the current challenges. Twenty-five years after the Oslo Accords, we are at a critical point in the peace process. The uncertainty and volatility of the current environment are hardening positions and sharpening the rhetoric on all sides - a situation that plays directly into the hands of extremists and increases the risk of another conflict.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Turning to Lebanon, efforts there continue to consolidate stability following the return of Prime Minister Hariri. As part of the implementation of the 8 December Paris International Support Group communique, preparations are under way for a conference in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security institutions, to be hosted by Italy in late February. Preparations also continue for parliamentary elections in May. The situation in the area of operations of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) remains generally quiet.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“The combustible cocktail of humanitarian, political and security challenges must be addressed urgently and effectively. In an effort to support the peace process and address the dire situation in Gaza, Norway and the European Union will convene an extraordinary session of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of International Assistance to Palestinians on 31 January at the ministerial level. This important meeting aims to bring all parties together to discuss measures to accelerate efforts that could underpin a negotiated two- State solution and to enable the Palestinian Authority to resume full control over Gaza. I call on the parties to work constructively and produce tangible outcomes that support these objectives.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“I also welcome the decision of the Palestinian Authority on 3 January to resume payments for the full amount of electricity - 120 megawatts - purchased from Israel for Gaza, allowing for an increase in supply to six-to-eight hours of electricity per day. The humanitarian situation, however, remains dire. With the current funding available, the United Nations will not be able to provide fuel to hospitals and critical infrastructure in Gaza beyond the end of February. I also take note of Israel's decision to approve some 85 private-sector projects through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism since the start of the year. Yet, these positive developments are not an alternative to the lifting of closures on Gaza and to returning the Strip to the full control of the legitimate Palestinian Authority.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“The implementation of the Egyptian brokered intra-Palestinian agreement has effectively ground to a halt. The two sides have been unable to reach agreement, particularly on key obstacles including the collection of taxes, the integration of and payment of salaries to public-sector employees, the status of the return of Government administration in the ministries and other institutions and, ultimately, security control of Gaza. These challenges must be quickly overcome or the process risks being derailed entirely, leaving Gaza primed for a new escalation. Despite these setbacks, I am encouraged that the Gaza crossings continue to be controlled by the legitimate Palestinian authorities after their handover on 1 November.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“The Central Council further declared that the Oslo process was no longer valid and tasked the PLO Executive Committee to suspend the recognition of Israel until it recognizes the State of Palestine and annuls its annexation of East Jerusalem, to halt security coordination and to revisit economic relations with Israel. We are yet to see whether these decisions will be adopted by the PLO Executive Committee and implemented. Under the current circumstances, however, I encourage all parties to refrain from action and rhetoric that would further undermine the chances of returning to meaningful negotiations and to continue their engagement in the interest of peace. Turning to Gaza, the worsening humanitarian and security crisis continues to feed a deteriorating situation.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“On the Palestinian political front, I want to report to the Council that in response to the United States decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and following the General Assembly vote on 21 December, the Palestinian Central Council met in Ramallah on 14 and 15 January. In its final statement, the Central Council, inter alia, rejected the United States as a partner until it cancels this decision and rescinds both the designation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a terrorist organization and the closure of the PLO office in Washington, DC.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Her detention followed the release of a video in which she was seen slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers in her front yard. On 17 January, an Israeli military court ruled that she would be held until the end of legal proceedings against her. As stated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 16 January, the detention of a child must only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible time. I reiterate the High Commissioner's call that the treatment of all minors be in accordance with international law and the special protection that it grants to children.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“The demolition of Palestinian-owned structures has also continued, with 16 structures demolished due to the lack of building permits that are nearly impossible to obtain, as noted in the Quartet report of 2016. Fourteen Palestinians have been displaced by these actions. Four additional structures were destroyed during a military operation in Jenin, displacing another 16 Palestinians. Of particular concern is the risk of demolition of 46 school structures in Area C and East Jerusalem. As the security forces continue to arrest Palestinians in various security operations - some 400 have been detained over the past month - I want to highlight one particular case. On 1 January, 12 charges were brought against Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl arrested in December.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“On 31 December, the Central Committee ofthe Likud party adopted a resolution calling for "unhindered" settlement construction and to "extend Israeli law and sovereignty in all the areas of liberated settlement in Judea and Samaria". While not binding, the resolution increases the political pressure for annexation of parts of the West Bank and further undermines Palestinian beliefin peace efforts. Days later, the Knesset passed an amendment to the Basic Law: Jerusalem, which is likely to make it more difficult in any future peace agreement for Israel to transfer control over areas currently within the area it defines as Jerusalem's municipal jurisdiction to Palestinian authority.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Separately, four tenders were published for approximately 500 units that had been processed in 2017. In comparison, tenders for only 50 units were opened for bidding in the whole of last year. In addition, the authorities announced that some 10 new tenders for 880 housing units in seven settlements will be published in the coming weeks. Settlement construction is illegal under international law and is one of the major obstacles to peace. Settlement-related activities undermine the chances for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution. Two recent developments further fuelled perceptions that the forces that want to block a two-State solution in Israel are gaining ground.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“The IDF also destroyed a tunnel from Gaza extending into Israel and Egypt under the Kerem Shalom crossing, the third such action over the past three months. I have repeatedly stated that all militant activity, including the digging of tunnels and the firing of rockets, in Gaza must cease. It threatens the lives of Israelis and Palestinians alike, increases the risk of a new escalation of hostilities, undermines calls for lifting the closures and ultimately damages the prospects for peace. Israel's settlement activities continue despite broad international condemnation. On 10 January, the Israeli planning authorities advanced plans for over 1,400 housing units in Area C settlements. Additionally, one plan for nine housing units in Psagot was approved for construction.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“I urge the Israeli security forces to exercise maximum restraint to avoid casualties in such circumstances. On 9 January, an Israeli civilian was shot dead in a drive-by shooting attack near Nablus. There is no justification for terror or for those who condone, praise or glorify it. The perpetrators of that attack must be brought tojustice. Subsequently, on 18 January in Jenin, one Palestinian was killed and several others arrested during a raid that the Israeli military conducted reportedly in search of the perpetrators of the 9 January attack. The reporting period also saw Palestinian militants fire eight rockets and mortars from Gaza, with three falling inside Israel, causing damage but no injuries. In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) targeted Hamas military sites in Gaza, with no reported injuries as well.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Protests and a relatively low level of violence across the West Bank and Gaza have continued following the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, on 6 December. Since 18 December, seven Palestinian civilians, including three children, have been killed by the Israeli security forces during protests and clashes - four in the Gaza Strip and three in the West Bank - and another two Palestinians died of wounds sustained in protests during the previous two weeks. I note the concern expressed on 19 December by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that the use of force must be calibrated and that lethal force should be used only as a last resort, in situations of imminent threat of death or serious injury, with any resulting fatalities properly investigated by the authorities.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Given tensions on the ground, I welcome UNRWA's firm commitment to continue providing services to Palestine refugees on an uninterrupted basis. Shutting down or reducing services at this critical time would further destabilize a region riddled with conflict, insecurity and radicalization. On 22 January, UNRWA launched a global fundraising campaign aimed at raising approximately $500 million to keep its schools, clinics, relief and other services open throughout 2018 and beyond. I thank the Member States that have already joined this global campaign to further support UNRWA, and I encourage others to follow suit. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to exact a steady human cost on the ground.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Taken together, those elements kill hope, breed frustration and increase radicalization on the ground. Our choice today is clear. We either take urgent concrete steps to reverse that perilous course, or risk another conflict and humanitarian disaster. In that regard, let me begin today by expressing my deep concern about funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) this year. While the recent pledge by the United States of $60 million is appreciated, it represents a significant reduction of its traditional contribution, thereby increasing anxiety for the community of 5.3 million Palestine refugees, who have already suffered the longest protracted refugee crisis in the world - 70 years.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Make no mistake: while the current negative environment and dynamics may have been exacerbated by rhetoric and recent events, they are not new. The lack of political will to take meaningful action, to restore confidence and resume negotiations and the propensity to take unilateral decisions have been there for years. During that time, various peace efforts have repeatedly floundered - victims of political agendas designed to sabotage progress towards realizing a two-State solution, or victims of the fear of making historic compromises with the past in the interest of the future. That paralysis has elicited a heavy price, namely, continued violence and insecurity; an ever-expanding settlement enterprise; a persistent Palestinian political divide; and a deteriorating, unsustainable situation in Gaza under the control of Hamas.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“This year will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Oslo Accords. While its daring vision for peace remains to be fulfilled, now is not the time to give up on Oslo. The alternative is not a better deal, but a worsening reality of occupation and humiliation. Now is the time to push for policies on the ground that rebuild trust; now is the time to engage on final status issues on the basis of international consensus; now is the time to show political leadership to remove the obstacles to a sustainable solution. And what is a sustainable solution, some may ask? I believe it is one that resolves all claims and allows Israelis and Palestinians to separate and live in peace as neighbours and partners whose security will be forever linked, yet who each manage their own affairs in a State of their own. Now is the time for leadership.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“And there are those who believe in violence, who are convinced that confrontation is the only option. They do not recognize that both Palestinians and Israelis - Jews, Christians and Muslims - have a legitimate national, historic and religious connection to this land. They believe that one side has to lose for the other to win; that the land can, and should, belong to only one people. We - the United Nations, the Security Council, the international community - have a responsibility to prove that those who believe in violence and confrontation are wrong. We have a responsibility not only to prove them wrong, but to work with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders to effect a return to the negotiations table and to quickly show tangible results that will empower those who believe in peace and thwart those who uphold terror.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: Too often we have met in this Chamber and said that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is at a critical stage, that the situation on the ground is unsustainable. We have all fallen into the paradigm of managing, rather than resolving, the conflict. There are those who believe that the conflict can be solved through peaceful bilateral negotiations and compromises by addressing the final status issues of borders, security, refugees and the status ofJerusalem on the basis ofprior agreements and the relevant United Nations resolutions. They believe that to resolve the conflict one must have two States, living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition. Some believe in making unilateral moves that can lead only to a one-State reality that is incompatible with the aspirations of both peoples.”
2018-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8167 (2018) · source
“Resolving the conflict will remove a key driver of extremism and terrorism in the Middle East and provide hope to generations of Israelis and Palestinians trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and conflict.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“The Secretary-General has been clear that ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine, is the only way to achieve such a vision. Today, however, there is a growing risk that the parties may revert to more unilateral actions. In the current environment, the continued absence of a credible proposal that could become the basis of meaningful negotiations is damaging the prospects for peace. The lack of significant steps on the ground that protect the viability of a two-State solution and support Palestinian statehood is undermining moderates and empowering radicals. The weakening of the international architecture in support of peace is increasing the risks to the region.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“Fourthly, this past year has witnessed important progress in finalizing agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with regard to water, energy, telecommunications and other areas aimed at improving the economic reality of Palestinians. Those efforts are critical to rebuilding trust, and obstacles to their realization must be removed. The United Nations will continue supporting such efforts. Fifthly, I am particularly concerned as to the future ofour collective efforts to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The United Nations remains strongly committed to supporting all endeavours towards a negotiated two-State solution.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“I urge all Palestinian factions to commit to rejecting violence, inflammatory rhetoric and provocative actions that undermine the cause of peace. Israel must also uphold its responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law and calibrate its use of force. Thirdly, bringing the legitimate Palestinian National Authority back to Gaza is key to alleviating the humanitarian crisis, lifting the closures and enhancing the prospects for peace. I commend Egypt for its tireless efforts in that respect, and encourage all sides to focus on addressing the devastating humanitarian situation, with an immediate focus on the electricity crisis, and to ensure that agreement is reached on mechanisms to implement the 12 October intra-Palestinian agreement in full.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“Since the adoption of resolution 2334 (2016), there has been a significant reduction in the number of violent attacks. In 2017, there have been 109 shootings, stabbings, rammings and bombing attacks conducted, compared to 223 similar attacks in 2016. Regarding fatalities, 72 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed this year, compared to 109 and 13, respectively, in 2016. I call on the international community to join the United Nations in condemning terror attacks and such reckless action, which impede any efforts to bridge the gap between Israelis and Palestinians and empower extremists. Nothing - no cause or grievance -justifies terror. The terror threat from Gaza of indiscriminate rocket attacks and tunnel construction continues, and the recent escalation by militants in Gaza is reckless and dangerous.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“The number of Palestinian-owned structures demolished this year in the West Bank is significantly lower than in 2016, and the lowest since 2009. In total, 400 Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished in the West Bank this year, including East Jerusalem - a sharp decline compared to the more than 1,000 structures demolished in 2016. In addition to those developments, 2017 has seen worrying legislative, judicial and administrative initiatives that aim to change the long-standing Israeli policy concerning the legal status of the West Bank and the use of private Palestinian land. Settlement-related activities undermine the chances for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution. Secondly, continuing violence against civilians and incitement perpetuate mutual fear and suspicion.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“The number of units advanced and approved more than doubled from 3,000 in 2016 to nearly 7,000 in 2017. In East Jerusalem, the increase has similarly been from 1,600 in 2016 to 3,100 in 2017. However, the number of tenders published and opened for bidding has decreased this year. In Area C, out of tenders for 3,200 units that were announced this year, only two for some 50 housing units have been published so far. For the first time since 2010, this year in East Jerusalem there have been no new tenders published. About 50 per cent of the settlement moves this year have been concentrated in and around major Israeli population centres, while some 20 per cent have been in outlying locations deep inside the West Bank.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“The Palestinian President has also vowed to seek unilateral recognition of Palestine and full membership in international organizations in the absence of a meaningful peace process. The United Nations maintains the View that Jerusalem is a final-status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides. In closing, I would like to share some broad observations on developments concerning the provisions of the resolution over the past year. First, continued settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territory contravenes resolution 2334 (2016). Significantly more housing units were advanced and approved this year.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“Regrettably, the reporting period did not see significant positive moves towards advancing peace, and the parties remain further divided than ever. The United States President announced in December his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, while stating that final status issues remained to be determined by the parties. He also made clear his commitment to advancing peace between Israelis and Palestinians and called for the status quo at the holy sites to be respected. Since then, the Palestinian leadership has cancelled meetings with visiting United States Vice-President Pence and called for the establishment of a new mechanism to achieve peace.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“On 28 November, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority a lump sum of $63.8 million in value-added tax collections and tax clearance. Construction of the Northern Gaza emergency sewage treatment plant is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Israel has informed the Palestinian Authority ofits willingness to increase the energy supply to Gaza by six megawatts for the plant. If implemented, that would help to address critical sewage and broader environmental problems in Gaza and beyond. During the reporting period, there were no developments related to Member States distinguishing in their relevant dealings between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied in 1967.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“Despite repeated calls on the Palestinian Authority to alleviate the electricity crisis in Gaza, which was exacerbated by the Palestinian Authority's decision earlier this year to reduce payments to Israel, residents still live with four hours of electricity per day. Forty- five per cent of essential drugs and medical supplies are at zero stock, while basic services are maintained only through donor-funded emergency fuel that is distributed by the United Nations. On 7 December, an additional $2.2 million was released from the United Nations humanitarian pooled fund to cover urgent health and food security needs in Gaza. On a positive note, talks between the Israeli and Palestinian Ministries of Finance resumed during the reporting period.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“While the goal of realizing a sustainable peace based on the two-State solution remains elusive, Palestinian factions signed an agreement on 12 October to allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume control of Gaza, the Gaza crossings to be fully returned to the control of the Palestinian Authority on 1 November, and the public sector employees who were recruited by the PA prior to 2007 to be registered in preparation for establishing a unified work force. The process, however, is faltering over substantial disagreements, including on important questions related to the payment of public sector salaries, the lifting of PA-imposed measures and Hamas giving up its security control of Gaza.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source
“On its official social media pages, Fatah continued to celebrate perpetrators of past attacks against Israelis, including a 26 September attack in Har Adar in which two security guards and a border policeman were killed. Most recently, Hamas and other factions applauded the stabbing attack at the Jerusalem bus station, organizing rallies in Gaza and the West Bank and calling for escalation. Israeli politicians also made provocative statements during this period, including by calling for "only one State between the river and the sea" or "recognizing Judea and Samaria as Israel". Resolution 2334 (2016) reiterates the call by the Middle East Quartet on both parties to take steps to reverse the negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution.”
2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8138 (2017) · source