YouSaid · the spoken record

Mladenov

lines on the record

1,041

first

2013-11-25

most recent

2020-09-29

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54

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un-security-council

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1. “Not only is the community at imminent risk of demolition, and displacement, but it also sets a significant precedent that may affect other Bedouin and herder communities in Area C. The reporting period was characterized by high levels of violence, including rocket attacks from Gaza, as made clear in my recent briefings to the Council on 26 April (see S/PV.8244) and subsequently on 15 (see S/PV.8256), 23 (see S/PV.8265) and 30 May (see S/PV.8272). Since 30 March, during a series ofprotests in Gaza, 135 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that a number of their members were among those killed. Two Israeli soldiers were also injured during the protests, with at least five other people lightly injured as a result of rockets and mortars launched from Gaza.”

   2018-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8289 (2018) · source

2. “The reporting period also witnessed an overall increase in demolitions across Area C as compared to the previous period, albeit at the relatively low rate that has characterized the past year. The authorities demolished or seized at least 84 Palestinian-owned structures, resulting in the displacement of approximately 67 people and potentially affected the livelihoods of 4,500 others. I reiterate that all settlement activity is illegal under international law. It continues to undermine the practical prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian State and erodes remaining hopes for peace. I also reiterate the call by the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian and Development Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to cancel plans to demolish Khan Al Ahmar-Abu Al Helu.”

   2018-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8289 (2018) · source

3. “Approximately 3,500 housing units in settlements in Area C of the occupied West Bank were advanced, approved or tendered. One-third of those units are in settlements in outlying locations deep in the West Bank. Plans for 2,300 units were advanced in the approval process. Plans for 300 units reached final approval stage, and tenders were announced for approximately 900 units. As in the previous reporting period, no advancements, approvals or tenders were made in occupied East Jerusalem. Today, in fact, the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics released data on construction starts in West Bank Area C settlements during the first quarter of 2018 that saw the lowest quarterly figure in six years, that is 250 construction starts. The figure is significantly lower than the average monthly rate for 2017, which was 410 and 766 for 2016.”

   2018-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8289 (2018) · source

4. “Mr. Mladenov: On behalf of the Secretary- General, I will devote my regular briefing today on the situation in the Middle East to presenting the sixth report on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). As Council members have already received the report, I will highlight some of the developments on the ground and the ongoing United Nations efforts in response. I invite Council members to note that all developments are taking place in the broader context of continued military occupation of the Palestinian territory, uncertainties about the peace process and the two-State solution, and instability and ongoing turmoil in the region. As detailed in the report, no steps were taken during the reporting period to cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem as demanded by the resolution.”

   2018-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8289 (2018) · source

5. “It is high time that we intensify our calls on Israelis and Palestinians to undertake concrete steps that will advance the goal of a just and sustainable peace. Such actions must encompass the overarching political objectives, the unification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single democratic and legitimate Palestinian Authority, an end to the occupation and a resolution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-State solution and in line with previous agreements and the relevant United Nations resolutions. This latest round of attacks is a warning. It is a warning to all of us how close to the brink of war we are every single day.”

   2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

6. “We hear their plight, we see their suffering and we will do all that we can to ensure that they have a future beyond mere survival, a future of freedom and development, a future focused on peace and prosperity, where they are the masters of their own fate, a future for all Palestinians, under a single democratic Government, living in a State of Palestine, side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel. That is why we need to make sure that calm continues, that the militant build-up ends and that we deny those who want to disrupt peace any opportunity to do so. Without those conditions in place, it will be impossible to move forward on achieving our long- term political and developmental goals.”

   2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

7. “It is important that all sides agree to improve movement and access restrictions and ensure uninterrupted and upgraded water and electricity supply to the population. This plan is the only sustainable way to ensure that we do not again slide into another devastating conflict, that we do not allow Gaza to become a pawn in somebody else's plans, another tragedy on the already crowded map of regional Middle East conflicts. But I would also like to use this opportunity to send a very clear message to Palestinians in Gaza.”

   2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

8. “The goals that I outlined last week remain as valid as ever: to prevent a war with potential regional implications, address the urgent humanitarian needs of the population and support Egyptian reconciliation efforts. That means that we need to urgently implement already approved projects, revive efforts to empower the Government to take up its responsibilities and, very important, sustain the 2014 ceasefire understandings on the ground and halt the militant build-up. The United Nations will move forward on immediately enhancing our capacity and presence to facilitate project implementation in Gaza and improve coordination with Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in order to overcome political, administrative and logistical blockages.”

   2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

9. “As I recently briefed the Council, Gaza's electricity, water and health systems continue to experience unprecedented strain (see S/PV.8265). Egyptian electricity lines have been effectively down since February, and the Gaza power plant has not functioned since April. Today the total supply for Gaza is barely enough to provide three hours of sustained electricity. Finally, during my briefing to the Council last week, I was greatly encouraged by the willingness of Council members to consider ideas to change the reality in Gaza. Under the current circumstances, failure to act immediately with a set of relatively modest, achievable interventions will only amplify the humanitarian crisis and drastically increase the risk of confrontation.”

   2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

10. “As demonstrations and protests in Gaza continue into the month of June, I am concerned that we may experience further violence and additional risks of escalation. Despite the dangerous escalation, Gaza's civilian infrastructure did not sustain any significant damage as a result of Israeli retaliatory fire yesterday. Moreover, the crossing points for people and goods remained open and functioned normally. The Rafah crossing into Egypt continued operations for the nineteenth consecutive day, and both the Kerem Shalom and the Erez crossings into Israel functioned with only minor delays. Nevertheless, fire from Gaza has caused damage to electricity installations on the Israeli side, resulting in a reduction of more than 30 per cent of the only electricity supply there is to Gaza, and it will take a few days at least to repair that.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

11. “In that respect, I welcome the efforts of Egypt aimed at ensuring that calm prevails, and I reiterate my call on all sides to uphold all understandings and prevent the recurrence of any incident thatjeopardizes the lives of Israelis and Palestinians alike. It is imperative that this period of calm be preserved at all costs. No one in Gaza can afford another war. No one has the right to play with the lives of 2 million people who have lived through hell in the past decade. No one should live in fear of an indiscriminate rocket attack. All parties have a responsibility to do their part to de-escalate and to step back from the brink, in the interests of their own people and the future of their own children.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

12. “Islamic Jihad issued a statement vowing to retaliate for what it described as a dangerous escalation. Subsequently, on 28 May, the IDF announced it had fired a tank shell at another observation post, killing a member of the military wing of Hamas. The shelling took place after Israeli troops came under fire, reportedly by Hamas militants, while arresting two Palestinians who had crossed the perimeter fence into Israel. During the night of 28 May, machine-gun fire from Gaza also hit the Israeli city of Sderot, causing damage to several buildings and a vehicle. The next day, the situation escalated. Since the early hours of this morning, the situation has quietened down and, since 5 a.m. there have been no projectiles launched from Gaza or any IDF strikes on locations inside the Gaza Strip.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

13. “It cannot be divorced from the context of the two months of protests at the Gaza fence, in which approximately 110 Palestinians were killed and a large number were injured. Throughout this period, militants have also placed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the perimeter fence and attempted, sometimes successfully, to breach it, with the intention of damaging military infrastructure and perpetuating attacks against Israelis. Particularly in the days following 14 May, several such incidents were filmed and posted on social media, prompting a response by Israel on targets inside Gaza. On 27 May, in response to an IED found by the IDF adjacent to the fence, the IDF targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad observation post and killed three members of the group.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

14. “In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed that Israel would respond with great force to the rocket attacks, as for more than 24 hours Israeli communities around Gaza lived with the fear of having mere seconds to seek shelter from incoming rockets. Such attacks are completely unacceptable. The firing of rockets and mortars against civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances. I take this opportunity to call on the international community to join me in unequivocally condemning the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and the dangerous escalation in Gaza. This dangerous escalation comes after a series of warnings by the United Nations and in the context of recent developments on the ground.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

15. “In response to the attacks and mortars, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on 65 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and destroyed a two-kilometre tunnel near the Kerem Shalom crossing. No casualties or serious injuries were reported in Gaza as a result of the strikes. On 29 May, the Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades and the Islamic Jihad's Sarai Al-Quds claimed joint responsibility for the rockets and mortars fired at Israel. Their joint statement blamed Israel for targeting their fighters and military positions during the preceding 48 hours, cautioned against attempts to dictate new equations on the status quo and warned that they would reciprocate "shelling with shelling and blood with blood".”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

16. “Mr. Mladenov: I thank you, Madam President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the unfolding events in and around Gaza. I am afraid that the past two days have seen the most serious escalation since the 2014 conflict between Hamas and Israel, and they have shown all of us how close we are to the brink of war every day. Between 28 and 30 May, according to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), 216 projectiles, rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza towards Israel, approximately 77 of which hit areas in the Eshkol, Sha'ar Hanegev and Sdot Negev regions. Although most of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, one hit a kindergarten yard at a kibbutz near the Gaza border, and at least one other damaged a house. Thankfully, there were no casualties or serious injuries.”

    2018-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8272 (2018) · source

17. “We must continue to work together to end the occupation and bring abou ta just, lasting and comprehensive resolution to the long-standing Israeli- Palestinian conflict on the basis of two-States and in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions and prior agreements. There is no alternative to achieving a peaceful future for all the people of this troubled land.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

18. “We must break the cycle or risk more lethal consequences. Gaza is an integral part ofthe larger puzzle. Ultimately, the success of any initiative in Gaza is linked to a credible political horizon that unites all Palestinians. At the same time, we cannot ignore the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where settlement construction continues and the situation remains fragile. Nor can we lose sight of the broader political picture and the need to bring the sides back to the negotiating table. In that regard, as discussed on my recent visits to the Russian Federation and Jordan, the Middle East Quartet remains a key forum to discuss perspectives for resolving the conflict, including within the broader regional context.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

19. “Some of that activity impacted locations in the northern and central parts of the area of separation. Throughout those events, UNDOF maintained liaison with both sides to ensure that the parties respected the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. In conclusion, I would like to say a few words on the challenges and opportunities ahead. We need a unified approach to change the current reality on the ground in Gaza. While the international community has a central role to play, leaders on all sides of the conflict must show the political will and determination to achieve genuine progress. Every day that the intra-Palestinian political paralysis continues and every day that the closures persist, more lives are put at risk in Gaza. Turning the Gaza tap on and off is not a sustainable strategy for anyone.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

20. “I reiterate the position of the United Nations that Jerusalem is a final-status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties based on relevant resolutions. Given the importance to Jews, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem is a highly sensitive and charged issue for millions of believers around the world. Therefore, upholding the status quo at the holy sites remains critical for peace and stability. The Secretary-General voiced his utmost concern following reports of heightened tensions, missile launches from Syria targeting Israeli positions, and retaliatory strikes by the Israeli Defence Forces. In the context of the 10 May events, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) personnel have observed a high level ofkinetic activity in the areas of separation and limitation and across the ceasefire line.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

21. “In separate security incidents, Israeli Defence Forces targeted Hamas facilities in Gaza on at least 10 occasions, with no injuries having been reported. During the reporting period, the Israeli Defence Forces also destroyed two tunnels it attributed to Hamas, bringing the total number of tunnels destroyed since October to 10. Amid Israeli reports of violence directed at Israeli forces, on 16 May Palestinian militants reportedly fired machine-gun rounds towards Israeli troops, hitting several houses in the Israeli town of Sderot, which caused damage but no injuries. I also note the move of the Embassies of the United States of America, Guatemala and Paraguay from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

22. “Israeli authorities have also demolished or seized some 30 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. As a result, 43 Palestinians have been displaced and the livelihoods of more than 140 have been affected. On 2 May, Israel demolished or seized some 14 structures in the Masafer Yatta area of xouth Hebron, located in an Israeli-declared military firing zone. At least nine households have been impacted, with some 35 people displaced. I am also concerned by developments regarding Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu, a vulnerable Palestinian Bedouin community east of Jerusalem, home to some 180 people 4 over half of whom are children - who also faced an increased risk ofdemolition and relocation.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

23. “Regrettably, the announcement that the salaries of Palestinian Authority employees in Gaza will be paid has not been implemented, which further contributes to the explosive situation in the Strip. On 15 May, Palestine acceded to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Convention on the Prohibition, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons. Meanwhile, in other developments I must note that no settlement plans were approved and no tenders were issued in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, during the reporting period. Settlement construction in Area C in East Jerusalem, however, has continued, and the Israeli Government has approved major plans focused on solidifying its control of East Jerusalem.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

24. “Developments inJerusalem andinGazareverberated with some protests across Lebanon, mostly in refugee camps. Thankfully, no violent incidents were reported. In a important development on 30 April, the Palestinian National Council convened in Ramallah for the first time in 22 years, where President Abbas was re-elected as its Chairman. While reiterating the commitment to a peaceful solution based on long- standing parameters and United Nations resolutions, inter alia, the final statement urged the suspension of the recognition of Israel, security coordination and the Paris Protocol. It also outlined international moves that the Palestinians are planning to take to advance the goal of an independent Palestinian State and to seek protection for the Palestinian people.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

25. “Progress is dependant on the coordinated action and sustained commitment of all stakeholders. Taking a step back from the immediate situation in Gaza, the confluence of conflicts in the Middle East is raising tensions on multiple fronts - in Syria, in Yemen and, clearly, on the Israeli-Palestinian track. Amid the political stagnation, frustration and disillusionment in the Palestinian diaspora is also mounting. People are watching events there very closely. Confined to often squalid refugee camps, devastated by war, most notably and tragically in the Yarmouk camp in Syria, and with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East experiencing a severe funding crisis, Palestinian refugees are increasingly facing an untenable situation, risking an expanded humanitarian crisis and further instability.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

26. “I also welcome the decision by the Palestinian Government to provide critical medical supplies and doctors to Gaza after the tragic events of 14 May, as well as their engagement with the United Nations on facilitating much needed deliveries to Gaza. The AHLC has identified several critical projects aimed at ensuring a long-term future for Gaza, and I am encouraged by ongoing work with our partners to prioritize a short list of key projects based on the conclusions of our recent meetings in Cairo, Washington, DC, and Brussels. We are engaged constructively with Israel, the Palestinian Government and Egypt to discuss how to improve coordination and move forward. I also urge the international community to generously support those goals, both financially and politically.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

27. “I am encouraged by the positive engagement by all. I particularly welcome Egyptian President Al Sisi's decision to maintain the opening of Rafah crossing throughout the holy month of Ramadan. That is an important step, and I hope that the security situation will allow for more regular movement through the crossing. I also want to acknowledge Israel's efforts to ensure the delivery of goods to Gaza, despite the serious damage done to the Kerem Shalom crossing by protesters during recent weeks. I look forward to further measures that will enable an increase in the entry of goods and stimulate economic activity.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

28. “If we are able to move quickly, we will reduce the chances of military confrontation and another devastating conflict. We will create the conditions for relaxing movement and access restrictions and preserve the fraying links between Gaza and the West Bank. We will also support Egyptian reconciliation efforts, and, most importantly perhaps, we will provide much needed breathing space for ordinary Gazans. Ultimately, these efforts are meant to strengthen - not replace - overarching political objectives: the unification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian Authority in line with the Quartet principles, and an end to the occupation and a resolution of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are currently discussing with key stakeholders how to move forward on this strategy.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

29. “We have all the instruments in place to address this challenge. We just need to organize ourselves better. As such, I plan to take the following actions: first, to prioritize projects identified and agreed over the past two years by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC); secondly, to adopt a task force modality with an enhanced United Nations project-management capacity to speed up implementation of the projects on the ground in Gaza; and, thirdly, to strengthen our close coordination with the Palestinian Authority, Israel and Egypt to overcome any political, administrative and logistical blockages that may emerge. Let me be very clear: the condition for success is that the ceasefire achieved in 2014 be observed by all factions in Gaza and that all factions refrain from illicit arms build-up and militant activity on the ground.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

30. “I have taken note of the request last week by several members of the Security Council to bring forward proposals to address the situation in Gaza, in line with our commitment to advance urgent infrastructure and economic development projects, improve access and movement, and support the Egyptian-led reconciliation process. Gaza's infrastructure teeters on the verge of total collapse, particularly its electricity and water networks, as well as its health system. In the past, the implementation of key infrastructure projects faced significant delays and obstacles. Failure to implement immediately, over the next 6 to 12 months, a set of modest, achievable projects - already endorsed by relevant stakeholders and some already funded - will create an amplified humanitarian crisis with fewer means to address it effectively.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

31. “Hamas, which controls Gaza, must not use the protests as cover to attempt to place bombs at the fence or create provocations; its operatives must not hide among the demonstrators and risk the lives of civilians. Palestinians have a right to protest peacefully. As demonstrations are likely to continue into the month of June, I again reiterate our call for all sides to exercise maximum restraint. Council members have often spoken here in the Chamber of the need to prevent war; and the Secretary- General has put preventive diplomacy at the heart of his agenda. It is time for our words to be tested in Gaza.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

32. “I also take note of the adoption of the resolution of the Human Rights Council on 18 May, which calls for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the events in Gaza. Let me reiterate what I said last week in this Chamber by calling on all to join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms the actions that have led to the loss of so many lives in Gaza. Israel has the responsibility to calibrate its use of force, to not use lethal force except as a last resort under imminent threat of death or serious injury. It must protect its citizens, but it must do so proportionally and investigate every incident that has led to a loss of human life.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

33. “We must act urgently to avoid another war, to alleviate the suffering of people and to empower the Palestinian Government to take up its responsibilities in Gaza. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in the past month 76 Palestinians, including 11 children, have been killed by Israel Defence Forces and over 3,000 injured by live fire and other means. This period has seen by far the worst levels of violence since 2014. There have been no Israeli fatalities. Following the 14 May violence, the Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States held an emergency meeting in Cairo and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held an emergency summit in Istanbul.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

34. “Mr. Mladenov: On 15 May, I briefed the Council on the deadly protests that took place in Gaza the day before (see S/PV.8256). At least 60 people were killed and the number continues to climb. It was a tragic day in the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, another reminder of the need to bring peace to this troubled land. It was also a reminder of how easily violence in Gaza flares up. It was a reminder that Gaza is on the verge of collapse, that its people - who have lived for more than a decade under the control of Hamas, with crippling Israeli closures and with diminishing hopes for an end to the occupation and a political solution, and who have survived three devastating conflicts - are increasingly desperate.”

    2018-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8265 (2018) · source

35. “We must collectively call on all to refrain from unilateral measures that only steer us away from a peace process, and instead work to end the occupation and advance the goal of a just and sustainable peace, culminating ultimately in two States - Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part - living side by side in peace, security and prosperity.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

36. “That is a critical reminder of the fragility of Gaza's infrastructure. Starting tomorrow, the United Nations, together with international partners, will need to focus and redouble efforts to implement projects that will have an immediate impact on improving the electricity, water and health situations as a matter of urgency. The developments in Gaza are an extremely painful reminder of the devastating consequences of the continued absence of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I would like to reiterate that message, particularly as Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day, or the day of the catastrophe, by which they remember the displacement during the war of 1948-1949, and as they continue to demonstrate in Gaza and the West Bank over the coming days. We must step up our efforts in support of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

37. “The Secretary-General and I have repeatedly called on all to exercise restraint, for all the necessary steps to be taken to avoid escalation and for all incidents to be fully investigated. I have engaged with all sides to that effect. Public statements and messages by Hamas indicate the intention to use mass protests to infiltrate into Israel and attack Israelis. Such statements and action endanger the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians and cannot be justified. I wish to underline yet again that it is imperative that civilians, particularly children, not be targeted by anyone, used as cover for militant activity or be put at risk or endangered in any way. As the violence continues, technical problems have also resurfaced in the form of a further decrease in electricity supply, leading to approximately 22 hours of blackouts in Gaza.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

38. “To further complicate a dismal picture, on 4 and 11 May, demonstrators destroyed most of the facilities on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing - the main point of entry for goods and materials into the Gaza Strip. Members of my team conducted an initial assessment of the site, and I can report that the damage is extensive and will hinder deliveries of fuel and much-needed goods to Gaza for weeks to come. As we speak, the United Nations is working with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to bring in life-saving assistance, despite the destruction and extensive damage to the crossing. Whoever orchestrated that destruction shares in the responsibility for worsening the suffering of the 2 million people in Gaza.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

39. “I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the bravery of the medical staff who continue to put their own lives at risk, such as those working for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, who have endured casualties of their own. I am deeply saddened to note the death of another health worker yesterday during the demonstrations, and reiterate the inviolability of health facilities and medical personnel under international law. Journalists have also been among those injured in yesterday's demonstrations. The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, about which I have reported time and again in this Chamber over the past year, has been compounded by the fact that the Palestinian Authority continues to withhold the payment of salaries to some 20,000 civil service employees in Gaza.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

40. “Against that backdrop, hospitals in Gaza report an unfolding crisis involving essential medical supplies. Drugs and equipment are needed to treat those who have been injured. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, who is currently in Gaza, visited Al-Shifa hospital yesterday, where there is a shortage of beds for the number of wounded arriving from the protests at the fence. He witnessed at first-hand patients being brought in on stretchers and left in the hospital's courtyard, which was being used as a triage area. I appeal to Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian authorities to facilitate the exit of the seriously wounded from Gaza for medical treatment, and I welcome steps reportedly taken by Egypt to that end.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

41. “Hamas and Islamic Jihad have acknowledged that members of their organizations were among those killed, and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claims that at least 24 had links to militant activities. Under the cover of the protests, Hamas and other militants have also engaged in violent and provocative acts, including the placing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the perimeter fence and other attempts to breach it with the intent of perpetrating attacks. According to the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, at least one IED reportedly detonated against an IDF vehicle during an incursion. Eighteen airs trikes and eight shelling incidents were also carried out by the Israeli security forces on 26 Hamas targets in retaliation for what Israel classified as violent acts.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

42. “Although no fatalities were reported in the West Bank, where limited clashes took place between demonstrators and Israeli security forces at several checkpoints, the situation in Gaza deteriorated throughout the day, particularly along the perimeter fence. According to various reports, at least 60 people were killed throughout yesterday, including six children, and more than 1,300 people were reportedly injured by live ammunition and rubber bullets. One Israeli soldier was wounded and taken to the hospital for treatment. Since the beginning of the protests on 30 March, more than 100 people have been killed, including 13 children, over half of whom were killed yesterday alone. That constituted the bloodiest day in Gaza, with the highest death and injury toll since the 2014 conflict.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

43. “We need to move forward quickly and effectively with regard to all the projects that we have discussed for many months to solve the energy, water and health crisis of the population. We can do that only in coordination with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt, but, before all of that, the senseless Violence needs to stop. Yesterday an estimated 35,000 people participated in demonstrations in Gaza, as did hundreds more in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus and East Jerusalem - as part of the Great March of Return, as well as in protest of the relocation of the United States Embassy from Tel AViV to Jerusalem.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

44. “But their anger, if not channelled in a constructive manner, will lead to more destruction and suffering. Whatever we may think of their motivation, we have an obligation to hear their plight. They have lived through three devastating conflicts. Their lives are marked by personal anguish, scarred by a national tragedy and marred by daily suffering caused by leaders who use them for their own political ends. For 10 years, they have lived under the control of Hamas, while separated from their families in the West Bank and isolated behind crippling Israeli closures. The cycle ofviolence in Gaza needs to end, and for if it to end it requires every single one of us to put their best efforts into preventing an explosion that could drag the whole region into another deadly confrontation. The international community must step in and prevent war.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

45. “It must protect its borders, but it must do so proportionally and investigate every incident that has led to a loss ofhuman life. Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for more than a decade, must not use the protests as cover in an attempt to place bombs at the fence and create provocations. Its operatives must not hide among the demonstrators and risk the lives of civilians. Tens of thousands of people in Gaza have been protesting for more six weeks to date - people who live in abject poverty, who survive in prison-like conditions and who live with no prospect for the day after. Those people want their voices heard. They want a future beyond mere survival. Their leaders have failed them. The promises that they have made to them have not been delivered on, and now the people are angry.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

46. “Mr. Mladenov: For the people of Gaza yesterday was a day of tragedy. There are no other words to describe what actually happened. There is no justification for the killing. There is no excuse. It serves no one. It certainly does not serve the cause of peace. My heart weighs heavy today as I begin by expressing my condolences to the families of those killed yesterday and over the past six weeks of demonstrations in Gaza. Who can possibly find words to console the mother of a child who has been killed? I call on all to join me today in condemning in the strongest possible terms the actions that have led to the loss of many lives in Gaza. Israel has a responsibility to calibrate its use of force and not to use lethal force except as a last resort under the imminent threat of death or serious injury.”

    2018-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8256 (2018) · source

47. “Establishing a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict would eliminate a chronic source of instability and violence from the region. The United Nations will continue to make every effort in the pursuit of that objective.”

    2018-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8244 (2018) · source

48. “The challenges are political and man-made and therefore resolvable if all sides firmly commit to supporting practical solutions that can be implemented quickly, effectively and sustainably. However, Gaza is only part of the story. We must also step up our efforts to support the parties in advancing a sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace on the basis of the two-State solution. The prospects for peace are slipping further and further away, emboldening extremists and deepening polarization and mistrust on all sides. With tensions mounting across the region, the lack of progress should worry us all. The fires of the Middle East continue to expand and shift. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict remains a perpetual source of oxygen for militants and radicals across the region.”

    2018-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8244 (2018) · source

49. “I would like to conclude with some brief reflections on the situation in Gaza, the peace process and the regional impact. What is happening in Gaza today is an injustice that no man, woman or child should have to endure. The deplorable living conditions, the consequences of the continued suffocating closures and the control of Hamas and the increasing risk that Gaza could trigger a new conflict are building up. People should not be destined to spend their lives surrounded by borders that they are forbidden to cross or waters that they are forbidden to navigate. They should not be destined to live under the control of Hamas, which invests in military activities at the expense of the population. I firmly believe that there is a way out.”

    2018-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8244 (2018) · source

50. “That is important in order to safeguard the country's stability and to sustain the positive momentum of the recent Rome II and CEDRE conferences. The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon remains engaged with regional stakeholders to defuse tensions and to prevent the risk of conflict spilling over, including into Lebanon. The situation in southern Lebanon and along the Blue Line remains calm but tense. South of the Blue Line, Israel proceeded with construction in several locations outside the Lebanese reservation areas. On 8 and 12 April, tension increased, with Lebanese demonstrations north of the Blue Line in the vicinity of the works. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has maintained close liaison with the parties, including at the tripartite level, to prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations.”

    2018-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8244 (2018) · source