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

“Recent funding cuts by donors have forced the World Food Programme to suspend food assistance to approximately 27,000 people and reduce rations to another 166,000 beneficiaries. At the September AHLC meeting, member States emphasized the need for increased efforts to revitalize Gaza's economy, including through cash-for-work programmes. The implementation of the package of urgent interventions continues. Donors have committed approximately $90 million of the $210 million needed for six months. Electricity supply to households has increased from three to 10 hours. About 4,200 jobs have been created and essential medicines have been delivered by the United Nations. I encourage donors to continue supporting our work, which is critical to avoiding another escalation.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“On Christmas Eve, the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah was attacked with stones in the same location that a Palestinian woman, Aisha Rabi, was killed by Israeli stone-throwers in October. I urge the authorities to uphold their obligation to protect Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and to hold accountable those responsible for such attacks. I would like to turn briefly to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. While the current temporary boost in the electricity supply has led to a general improvement in living conditions, including a 40 per cent reduction in the need for United Nations- provided emergency fuel, the situation remains desperate.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“Protests at the Gaza perimeter fence continued during the past month, with seven Palestinians killed by live Israeli fire. The launching of incendiary devices into Israel also resumed after a lull of several weeks, and two rockets were launched by militants towards Israel. I reiterate my call on Israel to use lethal force only as a last resort and in response to an imminent threat of death or serious injury. At the same time, Hamas in Gaza must also stop the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars and ensure that protests remain peaceful. Meanwhile, the upsurge in settler violence over the past year continues to be a serious concern.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“They are not, and cannot be, an alternative to statehood. Engaging in them, however, should provide some of the much-needed political and economic space that people need in order to regain their faith in a peaceful and just resolution of the conflict. For the international community, it is also important to know that both sides remain committed to existing bilateral agreements and arrangements. The challenging dynamics I mentioned are unfolding as violent incidents have continued in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Eight Palestinians were killed during the reporting period by the Israel security forces, including during demonstrations, clashes, military operations and other incidents. No Israelis were killed by Palestinians during this period.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“The agreements and the principles that have been established over the past 25 years must be respected by both sides if peace is to have a chance. The Palestinian economy must be allowed to grow through expanding opportunities for free trade; fiscal leakages must be fixed by modernizing existing arrangements; and the Palestinian Government must be able to expand the services it provides to its people. Security coordination should also continue. Those are just some examples of small steps that can be taken to strengthen the Palestinian institution-building effort and that must be supported by the international community, including through the mechanisms of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC). Those steps are not an alternative to final-status negotiations, which can be based only on international law.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“Over time, however, those agreements have eroded as the prospect for credible negotiations has dimmed, only to be replaced by the lack of hope and the growing risk of a one-State reality ofperpetual occupation, as outlined in the Quartet report of 2016 (S/2016/595, annex). If both sides were able to re-commit, with the support of the international community, to the basic tenets enshrined in bilateral agreements and to the principle that core issues can be agreed only through negotiations between the parties, that should provide hope for the future and impetus for peace and stability. A quarter of a century of investment in peace and State-building must not be allowed to wither under the pressure of violence, radicalization and suffering.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“In Ramallah, for example, and elsewhere, the almost daily confrontations with Israeli security forces fuel anger and have raised questions among Palestinians as to the viability and relevance of the structures created under the Oslo Accords. Such operations disrupt the lives of civilians, increase tensions and undermine the Palestinian public's trust in their own security forces, as well as the morale of their personnel. It has been over 25 years since Oslo opened a pathway to peace. The core of those agreements was long ago enshrined in a number of United Nations resolutions and bilateral agreements that remain valid to this day. They also define the final-status issues that can only be resolved through negotiations between the parties with the goal of a two-State outcome.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“As a result, the total GDP of Palestine contracted by 0.5 per cent in this period. In other developments affecting Palestinian democratic foundations, on 12 December 2018, the Palestinian Constitutional Court declared the Palestinian Legislative Council dissolved and requested President Abbas to call for legislative elections within six months. I am concerned by the continuing vacuum of a functioning elected Palestinian legislative body until credible elections can take place. There has also been a dangerous security dynamic unfolding in the West Bank over recent months, as a series of deadly terrorist attacks have taken place and the risk of destabilization has increased. The period witnessed an increasing number of Israeli military operations in Areas A and B of the West Bank.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“Those developments are a very serious blow to the reconciliation process. I call on Palestinian leaders to engage constructively with Egypt and act decisively to resolve the political impasse by ensuring the full implementation of the 2017 Cairo agreement. One thing is certain: Palestinian sovereignty and statehood will remain an impossibility without genuine unity. There can be no State in Gaza, and there can be no State without Gaza. Meanwhile, economic growth in the West Bank is insufficient to keep the Palestinian economy afloat in the face of Gaza's dramatic economic contraction, the occupation and diminishing external support. The numbers speak for themselves - the West Bank gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.2 per cent in the third quarter of last year, while it contracted by 6.5 per cent in Gaza.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“I reiterate the United Nations long- standing position that settlements are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. On the Palestinian side, there are growing pressures on the foundations of the future Palestinian State, many of them imposed by decades of occupation and internal divisions. Despite the tireless efforts of Egypt and the United Nations, hopes for a genuine intra-Palestinian reconciliation are fading by the day as the sides blame each other for the lack of progress. As ever, ordinary Palestinians bear the brunt of the suffering. The gap between Gaza and the West Bank is widening again. The early January arrests by Hamas of dozens of Fatah members in Gaza were particularly alarming and led to the Palestinian Authority's withdrawal of its personnel from the Rafah crossing on 7 January.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“While in early January Israeli security forces evacuated dozens of settlers from mobile homes illegally installed at the site of the former Amona outpost, at the same time a Government team has been tasked with legalizing outposts and housing units built illegally in settlements, including under Israeli law. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian- owned structures also continued across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Twenty-five structures were seized or demolished, citing the absence of Israeli- issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. As a result, 32 people were displaced. With only 13 per cent of East Jerusalem designated for Palestinian construction and an estimated 13,000 outstanding demolition orders issued in Area C communities, demolition and displacement is a constant threat.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“Nearly half of them are to be built deep in the West Bank, many in isolated settlements in the Nablus area and near Hebron. One of the plans effectively legalizes the outpost of Ibei Hanahal as a neighbourhood of the Ma'ale Amos settlement in the Hebron governorate. Meanwhile, we have seen additional attempts to pass legislation that would directly apply Israeli law to the territory of the occupied West Bank, raising fears of future annexation. In December, the Government endorsed a bill to advance the legalization of 66 illegal outposts throughout the West Bank within two years. In the interim period, authorities must provide the outposts with funding, electricity and other services and freeze the implementation demolition orders.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: I thank Mrs. Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, forjoining us today. As 2019 begins, we should have no illusions about the dangerous dynamics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which continues to unfold before our eyes. In the past few months, understandably, our focus has been on the tragic situation in Gaza. Today I would like to return to the broader questions of peace and a sustainable resolution to the Palestinian question. Over time, the possibility of establishing a viable, contiguous Palestinian State has been systematically eroded by facts on the ground. During the reporting period, Israeli authorities advanced, approved or tendered over 3,100 housing units planned in Area C settlements, including plans for approximately 2,500 units that were advanced and tenders for about 650 others.”
2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source
“It is only by realizing the vision of two States living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine and all final-status issues permanently resolved through negotiations, that the legitimate aspirations of both peoples can be achieved.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“The Gaza Strip is, and must remain, an integral part of the future Palestinian State as part ofa two-State solution. In conclusion, let me reiterate that I remain concerned about the weakening of the international consensus and the absence of collective efforts to achieve an end to the occupation and the realization of a negotiated two-State solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions and prior agreements. I believe that I speak on behalf of us all today when I say that we all share the concern that, at the end of 2018, we are no closer to reviving efforts for a negotiated solution. Without a political horizon, all our collective and individual efforts contribute only to managing the conflict rather than to resolving it.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“I also welcome the generous support of donors, which has almost fully met the shortfall facing UNRWA this past year. Looking ahead to 2019, I also urge donor countries to maintain the funding levels achieved this year and to increase the number of multi-year agreements. The fate of two Israeli civilians and the bodies of the IDF soldiers missing in Gaza also remains an important humanitarian concern for us all. Whiletherehasbeennoprogressonintra-Palestinian reconciliation, it is critical that the important Egyptian- led process continue. The United Nations stands firmly in support of Egypt's efforts in that regard and urges the parties to make serious efforts to ensure the return of the legitimate Palestinian Government to Gaza.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Humanitarian partners have also struggled to fulfil their mandates in the face of rising humanitarian needs amid record-high cuts in funding, increased restrictions on humanitarian operating space and attempts to delegitimize the work of reputable organizations that provide essential support to vulnerable Palestinians. I encourage Member States to support the humanitarian response plan for 2019. The important financial support of the State of Qatar has enabled the United Nations delivery of fuel to the Gaza power plant and the resulting substantial increase in the electricity supply for Palestinians in Gaza. Iurge other donors to support additional elements of the package of urgent economic and humanitarian interventions for Gaza that was endorsed by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in New York in September.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Meanwhile, restrictive measures by the Palestinian Authority against Gaza compound the long-standing Israeli closures of the Gaza Strip, further widening the political and administrative gap between Ramallah and Gaza. Such measures must end. However, the completion of the review of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and, more specifically, the commitment by the Palestinian Authority and Israel to the Mechanism's continuation and enhancement were important developments. That rare example of direct Israeli and Palestinian engagement with United Nations facilitation shows that there is room for cooperation.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Such rhetoric, particularly if it denies the right of existence of one of the sides, or their right to Statehood or glorifies terror, is dangerous and plays into the hands of extremists beyond Israel and Palestine. I also reiterate to political, community and religious leaders the resolution's call to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism. Regrettably, this year has seen no affirmative steps by the parties to reverse negative trends nor serious progress on implementing important agreements signed in 2017, including agreements on water, energy and telecommunications. On the contrary, significant Israeli administrative and legal decisions are facilitating the legalization, under Israeli law, of settlements on private Palestinian land and threaten to undermine the financial stability of the Palestinian Authority.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“The killing of children is absolutely unacceptable. Israeli security forces have a responsibility to exercise restraint and should use firearms only when strictly necessary in order to protect life or prevent serious injury from an imminent threat. Hamas also has an obligation to protect children, ensuring that they never be put in harm's way. Ongoing instances ofincitement, provocative steps and inflammatory rhetoric plague the public discourse of the conflict. They are highly dangerous and threaten to push an already volatile situation past the boiling point. I have repeatedly stated in my briefings to the Council that leaders have a responsibility to reduce, rather than escalate, tensions; yet over the past year, statements that encourage violence continued.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“From May through November, we witnessed the most serious escalations since the 2014 conflict, with over 500 rockets and 700 mortars fired towards Israel by Hamas and other militant groups. Some 175 Palestinians were killed by Israeli live fire, including 32 children, two women and three medical workers. One Israeli soldier was killed by sniper fire during the demonstrations. The indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars against Israeli towns and villages violates international law, placing hundreds of thousands of civilians under imminent threat, and causing great fear and mental trauma, particularly for children. Serious concerns remain over the loss of life, especially of children, in the context ofthese hostilities and protests. The death of four-year-old child is a tragedy that must not be repeated; I mourn his short life.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Each time, as the parties came frighteningly close to the brink of war, tireless efforts by Egypt and the United Nations prevented a full-fledged conflict. Ultimately, what will ensure long-term peace is reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate and democratic Palestinian Authority and putting an end to the occupation. Meanwhile, however, it is imperative that the current calm be preserved at all costs. No one can afford another war in Gaza. Since March, tens of thousands of people in Gaza took part in demonstrations along the perimeter fence, many of which turned violent. Throughout this period, hundreds of fires were started in Israel by incendiary devices, balloons and kites coming from Gaza.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Thousands of Palestinian-owned trees and more than hundreds of vehicles have been damaged. Settlers have continued to enter Palestinian locations, triggering clashes, some of which involve Israeli soldiers. Such incidents have resulted in the death of two Palestinians. While I acknowledge efforts by the authorities to prevent and investigate settler- related violence, I call for further measures to ensure that Israel fulfils its obligation to protect civilians and to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for attacks. And while Gala has been quiet since the last escalation in November, it is critical that events in the West Bank not lead to reigniting the Gaza fuse. The people in Gaza have suffered enough and must not be made to pay the price for violence elsewhere.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“We have also seen the death of a Palestinian woman, killed by a stone. There can be no justification for any brutal acts of terror, and I call on all to join the United Nations in condemning them unequivocally. They feed mistrust and hatred among people. Israeli responses to recent events in the West Bank have been harsh, as some of the perpetrators of recent attacks have been killed. Unfortunately, incidents like the shooting of a Palestinian man with psychosocial disabilities as he was walking away from the security forces fuel a climate of fear and anger. These actions continue to worsen a climate of hatred and fear and drive Israelis and Palestinians further away from resolution of the conflict. Settler-related violence has also been on the rise during 2018, with the highest number of incidents recorded since 2014.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Moving forward on the demolition of the community would amount to a serious violation of Israel's obligations under international law and undermine the prospects for a two-State solution. I call on all concerned parties to work towards resolving the issue in a manner that is consistent with the community's will and genuine needs, and in line with Israel's international legal obligations. In terms of violence over the past year, although Gaza has been the most volatile, the risk of an explosion in the West Bank has also grown. I am concerned by the recent incidents and rising tensions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. During the past three months, we have witnessed stabbing, ramming and three lethal shooting attacks against Israelis, one of which led to the heartbreaking death of a baby.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“In addition, severaljudicial and administrative decisions taken during 2018 have removed long-standing obstacles to the use of private Palestinian land for the benefit of settlements. The United Nations continues to closely monitor the threat of demolitions and displacement to Palestinians in Area C and East Jerusalem. Between January and November 2018, there were 422 Palestinian-owned structures demolished or seized by Israel on the grounds of a lack of building permits - 245 in Area C and 167 in East Jerusalem. Some 411 people have been displaced, which represents a slight increase in the number of structures demolished compared with the equivalent period of 2017. Particularly worrisome is the situation in the community of Khan al-Ahmar-Abu al Helu.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“For East Jerusalem settlements, plans were advanced or approved for 2,100 units in 2018, compared to about 3,100 in 2017, and a tender was announced for the first time in two years. About one quarter of the units advanced, approved or tendered in 2018 are planned for settlements in outlying locations deep in the West Bank. In this context, this year saw some worrying moves, including the continued construction of a new settlement, Amichai, located in a strategic location that further consolidates the cluster of settlements to the east of Shilo, at the very heart of the West Bank. Israeli authorities also approved new construction in Hebron after a lull of some 16 years.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“In closing, I would like to share some broad observations concerning the implementation of the provisions of resolution 2334 (2016) over the past year. The continued expansion of the Israeli settlement enterprise, in all its aspects, is illegal under international law, and undermines hope among the population, trust between the parties, and the two-State solution itself. Settlement planning and tendering continued during 2018 but at lower rates compared to 2017. For Area C settlements, plans were advanced or approved for some 4,800 housing units, compared to nearly 7,000 during 2017. Tenders were announced for some 2,900 units, slightly less than the 3,200 tendered the previous year.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“The resolution also called upon "all parties to continue to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations". No progress was achieved in this respect as well. At the beginning of my statement, I addressed the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements. On 28 and 29 October, the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization reaffirmed the decisions taken to suspend the recognition of the State of Israel until the latter recognizes the State of Palestine within the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, end security coordination in all its forms, and disengage economically from Israel. These decisions have not been implemented. President Abbas is reported to have signed, on 15 November, 11 instruments of accession to international agreements.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“These decisions are contrary to both international human rights law and national Palestinian legislation. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls upon all States "to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967". On 28 November the Chilean parliament approved a resolution that called on the Government to examine all of its agreements with Israel to ascertain that they apply solely to the territory of the State of Israel, and not to the territories occupied since 1967. The Republic of Ireland advanced in the upper house ofparliament, the "Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018", which, if passed into law, would prohibit trade with and economic support for settlements.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“It encourages a culture of tolerance and laying a crucial foundation for peace. Regrettably, however, the negative trends continue to overshadow any positive developments. The humanitarian, economic and political crisis in Gaza continues and, despite Egypt's sustained efforts, there has been no progress in implementing the October 2017 intra-Palestinian agreement. The goal remains that Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under the control of a single, legitimate national Government, with a unified legal framework that would be responsible for all aspects of governance, including security. In December Hamas made public the decision of a military court to sentence six people to death, including a woman. Another death sentence was also handed down in Gaza to a man convicted of murder by a criminal court.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Finally, in Gaza, the United Nations has enhanced its project implementation capacity by establishing a project management unit to work with all relevant stakeholders to support implementation, including of the package of urgent interventions from the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of International Assistance to Palestinians. Beyond Gaza, in another encouraging sign, civil society groups continue to mobilize in support of peace. This past month, I participated in a remarkable conference organized by Women Wage Peace, a non-governmental organization that brings together Jewish and Arab women advocating a negotiated solution to the conflict. The conference, attended by close to 1,000 young women and men, is precisely the kind of grass-roots effort called for in the 2016 Quartet report (S/2016/595, annex).”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Secondly, on 4 December, the United Nations concluded a comprehensive review of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, together with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. It has resulted in several important changes that will be implemented as of 1 January 2019. They will allow the Mechanism to better respond to Gaza's changed needs and increase its functionality, transparency and predictability. Thirdly, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 360 totally destroyed houses and the repair of 30 homes that were partially damaged in the 2014 conflict in Gaza have also been completed.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Private homes, hospitals, schools, water facilities and businesses are all benefitting. Seventy-five per cent of the sewage can now be treated again. That has significantly reduced the contamination levels caused by discharge into the sea. Piped water supply has increased by 40 per cent, almost fully meeting water demand for domestic household purposes. Drinking water supplied through desalination plants has also increased by 20 per cent, while private businesses have benefited from the reduced fuel costs. Those are substantial improvements. Finding sustainable solutions to Gaza's electricity crisis, however, remains critical. The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the World Bank have convened the international community to discuss how to stabilize electricity supply in the long run.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Among positive developments, I can point to the mobilization of international support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). On 19 November, UNRWA announced that the financial shortfall for 2018 - which stood at some $446 million in January - had been reduced to $21 million thanks to substantial new funding by Member States. In Gaza, the international community has taken a number of steps to improve the lives of 2 million people who live under Hamas control, struggle with Israeli closures and have little prospect of seeing national unity. First, thanks to generous funding from the State of Qatar, the United Nations has been able to import life-saving fuel to operate the Gaza power plant. Daily electricity supply has increased to more than 11 hours - the highest in over two years.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“In the wake of the recent violence in the West Bank, politicians have called for the deportation of families of attackers. Separately, there have been calls for a shoot-to-kill policy in Gaza, and one politician has gone as far as to call for President Abbas to be assassinated. Others have continued to reject Palestinians' right to statehood, to support openly widespread settlement expansion, and to support the annexation of all or parts of the West Bank. Resolution 2334 (2016) reiterates calls by the Middle East Quartet for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution. There have been some positive developments, but the negative trends dominate.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Fatah, including on its official social media accounts, also commemorated and celebrated the perpetrators of recent attacks, as well as past terror attacks in which Israeli civilians have been killed. In a radio interview, a senior member of the party glorified the perpetrators of stabbing attacks in Jerusalem. In addition, senior Palestinian religious leaders made a series of inflammatory speeches alleging Israeli intentions to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque or change the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. President Abbas has spoken against the recent surge of violence in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have also made provocative and highly problematic statements encouraging violence and undermining a two-State solution.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Hundreds protested, some violently, blocking traffic and throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles. Police arrested some 40 people. Incidents of stone throwing and vandalism, as well as shots fired at villages have been reported in several locations in the West Bank. Resolution 2334 (2016), in its paragraph 7, calls upon the parties "to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric". Unfortunately, such actions and statements continued during the reporting period. Hamas continued to use inciteful and inflammatory rhetoric. Its officials praised the stabbing and shooting attacks that killed Israeli civilians as heroic and mourned the killers.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“The Prime Minister also announced that some 2,000 houses built on private Palestinian land in settlements would be retroactively legalized, and that steps had been taken to advance the construction of 82 new housing units in Ofra and in two industrial zones in the settlements of Avnei Hefetz and Beitar Illit. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded 49 incidents of settler-related violence resulting in the injury of Palestinians or damage to their property. During the reporting period there were also recurring clashes between settlers from Yitzhar and residents of the neighbouring Palestinian village of Urif. Following the shooting attacks of the past few days, settler leaders blamed the Government for failing to protect them.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“The perpetrators, who fled towards Ramallah, reportedly remain at large. In the operations to apprehend the perpetrators of the Ofra attack, on 10 and 11 December dozens of IDF troops entered Ramallah, where, inter alia, they raided the offices of the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, and seized surveillance video. Two Palestinians were reportedly injured by live fire during ensuing clashes and over 150 in related incidents around the West Bank in subsequent days. In a statement issued on 13 December, the Israeli Prime Minister announced a series of measures in response to the wave of attacks, including revoking the permits of family members and demolishing houses of the perpetrators of attacks, increasing checkpoints and administrative detentions, and intensifying efforts to capture assailants still at large.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“On 9 December, in a drive-by shooting near the West Bank settlement of Ofra, seven Israelis were injured, including four children and a pregnant woman whose baby was delivered prematurely and subsequently passed away. Hamas praised the attack and identified one ofthe perpetrators, who was later killed in an Israeli security forces operation north of Ramallah, as one of their own. The Israeli Defence Forces have indicated that there are additional individuals involved in the incident still at large and that a manhunt is ongoing. I want to strongly condemn that attack and reiterate that there is no justification for terrorism. On 13 December, in another drive-by shooting near the Giv'at Asaf settlement, two Israeli soldiers were killed and another was severely wounded alongside an Israeli woman.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“During the reporting period, six Israelis, including four civilians, and 12 Palestinians were killed in various incidents, including terror attacks, clashes and military operations. On 7 October, an Israeli man and woman were shot dead in the Barkan industrial zone by a former Palestinian co-worker, who was killed in an IDF operation near Nablus on 13 December. On 12 October, a Palestinian woman was killed south of Nablus by stones allegedly thrown by Israeli assailants. On 4 December, in Tulkarm refugee camp, a 22-year old Palestinian with a psychological disability was shot and killed by the Israeli security forces in circumstances that would seem to indicate that he posed no threat to security personnel or others. Investigations have been launched into both incidents.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Protests at the Gaza perimeter fence and near the beach continued, although their size significantly decreased, and they have remained fairly peaceful since the beginning of November. Since early November, there have been no reports of incendiary devices, balloons or kites from Gaza causing damage in Israel. Since 13 September, some 43 Palestinians, including nine children, have been killed during the protests and other incidents near the fence and at sea. The youngest and most recent victim was a four-year-old who died on 11 December after he was injured by Israeli live fire during protests at the fence. Meanwhile in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the situation has also deteriorated over the past weeks.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“An IDF soldier was also seriously wounded by a missile strike that hit a military bus. The IDF responded by striking 160 targets identified as militant sites. Seven Palestinians were killed and at least four are reported to have been members of armed groups. On 11 October, the IDF announced that it had destroyed a tunnel extending 200 metres from Gaza into Israel. On 17 October, two medium-range rockets were launched towards Israel, one directly hitting a residential building in Be'er Sheva, some 40 kilometres away. The IDF responded by firing 10 missiles at target sites across the Gaza Strip. On 28 October, three Palestinian children aged 13 to 15 were killed in an IDF strike near the fence in the southern Gaza Strip, in disputed circumstances.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Seven Israelis, including three soldiers and four civilians, were killed by Palestinians in attacks in the West Bank and a military operation in Gaza. The reporting period once again saw a major escalation in Gaza that almost brought Israel and Hamas to war. On 11 November, in an exchange of fire following the discovery of an undercover Israeli unit in Gaza, seven members of the military wing of Hamas and an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer were killed. Militants in Gaza immediately launched 18 rockets and mortars. In the following 24 hours, some 450 projectiles were indiscriminately fired towards Israeli cities and towns - more than in the entire period since the 2014 conflict. One Palestinian civilian was killed by a Hamas rocket in the Israeli city of Ashkelon.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, that has resulted in the displacement of 103 people. On 21 October, the Israeli authorities announced the delay of the demolition of the Bedouin community of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu in order to allow for negotiation with the community to relocate residents with their consent. Nevertheless, the threat of mass demolition and displacement remains, despite broad international opposition to the move. Let me turn now to the issue of violence. The resolution calls for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians. However, violence and the threat of war continue. Overall, 75 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces, including during demonstrations, clashes, air strikes, security operations and other incidents.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“That amendment could facilitate the construction of additional housing units in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan. On 21 November, Israel's High Court of Justice rejected a petition filed by over 100 Palestinian residents of Silwan to stop the efforts of an Israeli organization to evict them from their homes. The organization had gained control ofthe properties by invoking an Israeli law by which Israelis, but not Palestinians, may claim lands they owned prior to 1948. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures by Israeli authorities continued across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Citing the absence of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain in Area C and East Jerusalem, 152 structures were demolished or seized by the authorities.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“That is the lowest number of quarterly advancements and approvals recorded since the resolution was adopted. This period, like the last quarter, saw no tenders issued. In October, the Government approved the allocation of $6 million for advancing the construction of 31 housing units in Hebron, which would be the first new construction there in 16 years. On 15 November, the High Court of Justice rejected an appeal by two Palestinian families living in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and allowed the eviction of some 40 family members to advance construction. The decision was based on an ownership claim by an Israeli company. On 19 November, the Knesset passed legislation enabling, under certain conditions, the planning for residential purposes in national parks located within municipal boundaries.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“No steps were taken by Israel during the reporting period, according to paragraph 2, to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem" and to fully respect all of its legal obligations in that regard, as required by the resolution. I reiterate that all settlement activities are a violation under international law and a major obstacle to peace. During the reporting period, plans for some 2,200 housing units in settlements in the West Bank were advanced or approved by the Israeli authorities. The vast majority, nearly 2,000, were advanced in East Jerusalem, further consolidating the ring of settlements to the city's north. Two hundred are in Area C and have reached the final stage of approval.”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source
“Before I begin my report, I would like to warn of the dangerous escalation of terrorist attacks, clashes and violence in the West Bank. Over the past days and weeks, there has been an alarming rise in incidents that have led to the tragic deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians and Israeli soldiers. My thoughts and prayers go out to the bereaved families. The security measures put in place in the aftermath of those incidents, search operations in Ramallah, as well as clashes and protests that turn violent, are adding to an already tense atmosphere. I join the Secretary-General in his call on Israeli and Palestinian security services to work together to restore calm and avoid escalation. Allow me to return to my reporting on resolution 2334 (2016).”
2018-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8429 (2018) · source