YouSaid · the spoken record

Nickolay Mladenov

lines on the record: 170
first: 2020-04-23
most recent: 2020-12-21
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“Meanwhile, settlers perpetrated some 13 attacks against Palestinians, resulting in nine injuries and damage to property, about half the number of such incidents recorded during the previous month. There were also some 25 incidents in which Palestinians threw stones or Molotov cocktails at Israeli-owned vehicles, injuring seven Israeli civilians, including one child, and causing damage to property. In Gaza, while the relative calm continued, Palestinian militants fired five rockets towards southern Israel. One fell short inside Gaza, one was intercepted by the Iron Dome system and the others hit in open areas in Israel, causing no injuries or damage. On all occasions, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out retaliatory strikes against Hamas targets, including underground infrastructure in the Strip, with no injuries reported.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“In addition, 65 Palestinians, including 10 children, and two Israeli soldiers were injured in various incidents. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza organized protests against Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Overall, those protests remained peaceful. On some occasions, Israeli security forces used rubber-coated bullets and tear gas, declared closed military areas and set up checkpoints near protests. On 9 July, Israeli security forces shot and killed a 34-year-old Palestinian man and shot and wounded a 17-year-old Palestinian in the central West Bank village of Kifl Hares. Israeli security forces released a CCTV video allegedly showing the two throwing Molotov cocktails towards a military patrol and soldiers opening fire in response.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“The May salary payments were delayed due to an 80 per cent reduction in Palestinian revenues resulting from the economic impact of COVID-19 and from the PA’s refusal to accept the monthly transfers of its clearance revenues. It is unclear whether the Palestinian Government will have sufficient resources to make any future salary payments or, indeed, to continue to carry out its governing functions in the coming months. The suspension of coordination between the PA and Israel has also impeded the ability of Palestinian security forces to move through Areas B and C of the West Bank, thus undermining their capacity to enforce COVID-19-related restrictions. During the reporting period, daily violence continued throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Overall, the Israeli security forces killed one Palestinian.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Any such increased responsibilities should be limited and time-bound, and not designed to replace the roles and responsibilities of the Palestinian Authority or the Government of Israel. While the COVID-19 pandemic and the breakdown in cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities have raised new concerns and complicated the speedy transfer of patients outside of Gaza, it is important to recognize the long- standing, underlying fragility of Gaza’s own health-care system. On the economic side, the Palestinian Ministry of Finance announced on 2 July that it would pay partial Government salaries for the month of May.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“I want to thank the authorities for their openness and cooperation with the United Nations on these challenges. Nevertheless, I am also concerned that we are far below the level of coordination that existed in the beginning of the year, when the first wave of the virus hit, which could have serious repercussions on the ability to control the spread of the virus and mitigate its impact on people’s lives. Over the past weeks, because of the unprecedented circumstances, the United Nations has offered to increase its role as an intermediary between the parties, including in the COVID-19 response and in the facilitation of patient referrals from Gaza. Nevertheless, there are limitations to what the United Nations and other organizations can be expected to do.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“The PA’s refusal to accept any clearance revenues transferred by Israel has exacerbated an already concerning fiscal crisis and impacted service provision. It has effectively blocked the ability of patients to travel from Gaza for treatment outside of the Strip and has led to delays in delivering humanitarian assistance and materials intended for the COVID-19 response and other health-support and services. In response, the United Nations has engaged with all sides to ensure the continued and unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis, the Organization has reached an agreement with the PA to make exceptions for coordinating humanitarian deliveries, and with Israel to streamline its administrative procedures.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“To contain the pandemic, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has re-imposed movement restrictions across the West Bank, as well as some closures in the worst- hit governorates. Israel has also re-imposed limitations on gatherings and certain non-essential businesses, as well as lockdowns in specific areas. Movement between Israel, the West Bank and Gaza remains heavily restricted, and the Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, has been closed in both directions since 15 May. The challenge of confronting the rapid increase in cases in the West Bank and boosting prevention efforts in Gaza has been significantly compounded by the ending of coordination between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Responding to both initiatives, 45 global women leaders signed a joint call against annexation and for peace, highlighting the importance of heeding women’s voices in situations of conflict. The Secretary-General and the United Nations will continue efforts to resuscitate a dialogue among all stakeholders, with no preconditions, and in the interest of peace and a negotiated resolution to the conflict. For those efforts to stand a chance of success, there must be political will from all parties. Otherwise, the path to a negotiated solution risks quickly becoming unnavigable, moving instead towards a one-State reality of perpetual occupation and conflict. Regrettably, the situation on the ground is rapidly being affected by the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Palestinian and Israeli women are also making their voices heard. On 9 July, I engaged with some 100 Palestinian women in a high-level dialogue organized by UN-Women, marking the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Participants shared their deep concern and uncertainty in the face of both COVID-19 and annexation threats. Ten Palestinian women leaders, supported by 180 women, issued a joint appeal against annexation, calling for the right to live in a democratic State of their own — in freedom, dignity and equality. A separate appeal issued by 22 Israeli women leaders, and later signed by more than 100 others, highlighted that annexation plans pose an irreversible danger to Israelis, Palestinians and regional stability.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Among these, on 1 July, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom published an op-ed in a leading Israeli newspaper expressing his opposition to annexation and asserting that such a step would violate international law and run “contrary to Israel’s own long-term interests.” Two joint statements issued on 7 July — one by the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France, Germany and Jordan, and the second by Foreign Ministers of nine Arab States and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States — stressed their staunch opposition to the move and called for a return to negotiations based on United Nations resolutions and international law. On 2 July, leaders from Fatah and Hamas held a rare joint video press conference in an effort to restate their opposition to annexation and to commit to a unified Palestinian front against it.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“They have further exposed the unsustainability of the occupation and the need to update agreements that define the relationship between the two sides in the interest of peace. In recent weeks, the region and the broader international community have continued to express their firm rejection of annexation.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“I brief the Security Council today as Palestinians and Israelis are grappling with a complex and potentially destabilizing three-pronged crisis: first, an escalating health crisis, as both struggle to contain the rapid spike of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases; secondly, a spiralling economic crisis, as businesses close, unemployment soars, protests increase and the economy suffers the financial impact of months of lockdowns and restrictions; and, finally, a mounting political confrontation driven by the threat of Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank and the steps taken in response by the Palestinian leadership. Those developments are not happening in a vacuum. The unfolding dynamics have shed a stark light on the daily reality of the conflict and the imperative to resolve it through negotiations between the parties.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“It is crucial for all stakeholders to take action that will enable the parties to step back from the brink. The goal must be to urgently re-engage in dialogue that will halt unilateral steps, chart a positive way forward and avoid a descent into chaos. Everyone must do their part in the coming weeks to preserve and promote the prospect of ending the occupation and achieving a negotiated two-State solution, based on international law, United Nations resolutions and bilateral agreements.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“I welcome the pledges that were announced, although they fall well short of the needs, and UNRWA’s funding gap remains extremely serious. I encourage Member States to support the Agency to ensure its operations can continue throughout 2020. In closing, I would like to again highlight the immense risks we face over the coming weeks and months as we confront the very real possibility of annexation and its consequences. If implemented, these steps could dramatically alter local dynamics, triggering instability across the occupied Palestinian territory and maybe beyond. This conflict has been marked by periods of extreme violence, but never before has the risk of escalation been accompanied by a political horizon so distant, an economic situation so fragile and a region so volatile.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“In retaliation, Israel Defense Forces targeted several Hamas targets in the Strip. Meanwhile the Kerem Shalom crossing for goods into Gaza has continued to operate normally. However, the Palestinian Civil Affairs Committee in Gaza stopped receiving and processing permit applications for Gaza residents and ended all communications with Israeli authorities. As a result, hundreds of patients, including many children needing life-saving medical treatment have not been able to exit the Strip. The financial situation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) remains a serious concern to all of us. I thank Jordan and Sweden for their efforts to mobilize support for the Agency, including yesterday’s pledging conference, which they co-chaired, with the participation of the Secretary-General.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“A total of S/2020/596 45 structures have been demolished in Area C and East Jerusalem on grounds of lack of permits, displacing some 28 people and otherwise affecting an additional 250. On 23 June, a 28-year-old Palestinian man from Abu Dis was shot dead by the Israeli security forces in an apparent car-ramming attack at a checkpoint, and a soldier of the Israel Defense Forces was injured. Incidents of settler-related violence during the reporting period were concentrated mainly in Hebron’s H2 area and Nablus governorate. In Gaza, despite the relative calm, the launching of incendiary balloons and devices continued, with some 20 devices launched over the fence into Israel. On 15 June, a rocket was launched from Gaza towards Israel, landing in an open field and causing no damage.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“In terms of settlement-related activities, on 9 June, Israel’s High Court of Justice struck down a controversial 2017 law that enabled wide-scale expropriation of private Palestinian land and the retroactive legalization, under Israeli law, of thousands of housing units in Israeli settlements. The Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional because it violated Palestinians’ rights to property and equality. Meanwhile, one Palestinian was killed and 44 were injured, including six children, during demonstrations, clashes and other incidents across the occupied Palestinian territory, including five by live ammunition. Three Israelis were injured when stones were thrown at a bus traveling through the West Bank.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“While we are prepared to provide support on an emergency basis, the United Nations cannot replace the Palestinian Authority. It is critical that humanitarian and other assistance not be delayed or stopped. In the coming weeks, decisions may be reached that will do irreparable damage to Palestinian and Israeli societies and to the security and economic well-being of both peoples. This bleak vision, however, is not yet a fait accompli. The window is closing, but there is still time to avert chaos. It will require a concerted effort by all stakeholders and the will to take political risks to achieve peace. As a first step, I join the Secretary-General in calling on Israel to abandon its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Allow me to turn briefly to significant developments since the written report was circulated.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“Particularly worrisome is the decision to stop accepting the clearance revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Adding to the economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Palestinian Authority has now lost 80 per cent of its monthly revenue. This gap cannot be filled by donors. Palestinians in Gaza, who have lived with closures and under the control of Hamas for more than a decade, are particularly vulnerable. The ending of civilian coordination will not allow them to receive life-saving treatment. Already, an 8-month-old infant has lost his life owing to the situation. Surely there must be a red line when it comes to the lives of children! The United Nations and other international organizations are increasingly being asked to take on coordination responsibilities.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“Such discussions have been dormant for too long, letting both sides drift further apart along diverging paths. Unilateral action has made the goal appear ever more distant. Based on shared principles and aspirations, we can identify realistic steps to avoid further polarization and advance the goal of two States, living side-by-side in peace and security and integrated into the region. In the interest of peace, I urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to take this opportunity and return to the path of engagement. In response to the threat of annexation, the Palestinian leadership declared itself exempt from all agreements and understandings with Israel and the United States. It has subsequently halted all bilateral contacts. That decision has had, and will increasingly have, a dramatic impact on all aspects of Palestinian life.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“All of us who believe in the legitimate right of both Palestinians and Israelis to self-determination, security and a brighter future must reject this move and consolidate efforts to preserve a sustainable two-State solution.S/2020/596 That is why I ask everyone present today to join the Secretary-General in his call for an immediate re-engagement, with no preconditions, among the Middle East Quartet — the United States, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United Nations — and the Palestinian leadership, Israel and the countries of the region in order to find a way out of the current crisis. I believe that only by working together can we restore meaningful Israeli- Palestinian dialogue and improve stability and conditions for people on the ground.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“Recognizing that both peoples have a right to live in their ancestral home, 27 years ago Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to embark on a noble but difficult road to resolve the conflict through negotiations, without taking unilateral action, in order to reach a final status agreement on a just peace. Today we are further than ever from that goal. As the prospect of a negotiated two-State solution is undercut, the spectre of anger, radicalization and violence emerges. Beyond the legal, security and economic implications, the threat of unilaterally annexing parts of the West Bank will send one message and one message only — bilateral negotiations cannot achieve peace. We cannot allow that to happen. No good can come from the breakdown of dialogue and communications. Diplomacy must be given a chance.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“Powerful statements rejecting such a move have been issued in the past weeks by the King of Jordan, the League of Arab States and leaders across the Arab world, including a strong message directly to the Israeli people from the United Arab Emirates. In addition to the official statements, we have witnessed opposition to the move from Israeli and Palestinian civil society, think tanks, academics and many others. Multiple opinion polls have indicated that Israelis are deeply divided over the issue and do not consider it a priority as the country is in the grips of an economic crisis and rising unemployment. Thousands of Israelis have protested the move at gatherings in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square and other locations across the country.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“It risks upending more than a quarter of a century of international efforts in support of a future viable Palestinian State living in peace, security and mutual recognition with the State of Israel. The Secretary-General has just unequivocally stated that any move to annex occupied Palestinian territory would have serious implications in terms of international law, the two-State solution and the prospects of a negotiated, sustainable peace. International and regional opposition has also been widespread. European leaders continue to voice their opposition to annexation and have also affirmed that it would amount to a violation of international law.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“I am devoting my regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East to the fourteenth report on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016) (S/2020/555). The written report that Council members have already received covers the period from 21 March to 4 June 2020. Before turning to developments that have occurred since the written report, I would like to reiterate the Secretary-General’s grave concern over the continuing threat of Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank — a process officials have said could begin in a matter of days or weeks. Deliberations over that move have brought this long-standing conflict to a critical juncture. Annexation could irrevocably alter the nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“The fate of the Palestinian and Israeli people must not be determined by destructive unilateral actions that cement divisions and may put peace beyond our reach in our lifetime.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The situation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) area of operations, including along the Blue Line, remained mostly stable. UNIFIL convened a tripartite meeting with the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces under COVID-19 restrictions on 14 May to urge the parties to avoid provocative actions and fully utilize UNIFIL’s liaison and coordination arrangements to preserve the cessation of hostilities. In conclusion, let me return to my initial words. I firmly believe that the time has come for all sides to do their part in the coming weeks and months in order to preserve the prospect of a negotiated two-State resolution to the conflict in line with relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements. Those efforts must begin immediately; there is no time to lose.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“On 3 May, UNDOF observed one aircraft flying from the Alpha side and crossing the ceasefire line, followed on 4 May by two drones from the Alpha side crossing the ceasefire line and hovering over the area of separation. These developments have the potential to escalate the situation between Israel and Syria. The parties have an obligation to respect the terms of the Disengagement Agreement. In Lebanon, the Government began formal discussions with the International Monetary Fund on 13 May, following the adoption of a national financial recovery plan. Amid an uptick in new COVID-19 cases, the Government reimposed a total lockdown on 13 May for four days, with the exception of essential services, to allow for enhanced contact tracing and testing and to inform the next steps for containment.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Turning to the region, in the occupied Golan, the overall security situation remains stable despite continued violations by both parties, including breaches of the ceasefire line and the presence of unauthorized personnel and equipment in the areas of separation and limitation. On 30 April, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) observed three missiles fired from the Alpha side impacting the Bravo side, a helicopter on the Alpha side firing a missile across the ceasefire line, as well as a rocket exploding in the area of separation. The Israel Defense Forces informed UNDOF that they had conducted a strike on the Bravo side.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The Palestinian leadership, the Hebron municipality, the Waqf and Islamic authorities, among others, have condemned the move, with some arguing that it violates the 1997 Hebron Protocol. Any change to the delicate balance at holy sites not agreed by the stakeholders threatens stability and must not be made unilaterally. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities demolished 32 Palestinian-owned structures owing to lack of Israeli-issued building permits. Consequently, 16 people, including 10 children, were displaced and another 170 were otherwise affected. Of the structures demolished by Israeli authorities during the reporting period, all 32 were in Area C of the West Bank. While there has been an overall decline in demolitions and displacement, any such steps are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law and must stop.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Non-governmental organizations in the West Bank and Gaza have reported a rise in cases of life-threatening incidents of gender-based violence and have raised concerns about the ongoing lack of protection, shelters and referral services. In early May, the Israeli Ministry of Defence approved the seizure of municipal planning authority from the Hebron municipality in relation to the Al- Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. The move was justified by the goal of making the site accessible to persons with disabilities, while stating that the project would not change prayer arrangements or the status quo. The order was issued on 12 May, allowing 60 days for objections.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“As the Secretary-General noted in his policy brief last month, “[a]cross every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection, the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex.” According to recent reporting by UN-Women, Palestinian women and girls are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, which is creating and exacerbating pre-existing gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities and is expected to widen inequalities, especially in the economic sphere. In that context, I remain concerned by the increase in incidents of gender-based violence, especially in situations where families are confined to small living spaces and exposed to increased socioeconomic pressures.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“During the reporting period, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 20 incidents in which Israeli settlers injured Palestinians or reportedly damaged their property, with a high concentration of incidents reported in Nablus and Ramallah governorates. In the same period, there were reports of 23 incidents of stone and Molotov cocktail-throwing in which Palestinians injured Israeli civilians in the West Bank or reportedly damaged their property. On 18 May, Israel’s District Court in Lod convicted an Israeli man of the horrific murder of three members of the Palestinian Dawabsheh family, including a toddler, who were killed as they slept when their family home in the West Bank village of Duma was burned down in 2015.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“In response, Israeli forces targeted Hamas facilities in the Strip. No injuries were reported in either incident. On several occasions, Israeli forces opened fire, injuring four Palestinians. In the light of the COVID-19 crisis, concerns remain over the situation of Palestinian children in Israeli custody. On 11 May, Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a joint statement calling on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to immediately release children in detention and emphasizing that the best way to uphold the rights of detained children amid a dangerous pandemic in any country is to release them and to put a moratorium on new admissions to detention facilities.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“On 12 May, an Israeli soldier was killed by a stone thrown at his head during an arrest operation by Israeli security forces in the village of Ya’bed near Jenin. Later that day, a Palestinian man was shot and wounded by Israeli security forces at the Kalandia checkpoint after reportedly attempting a stabbing attack against those forces. On the following day, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes in the Fawwar refugee camp, near Hebron, during an arrest operation. On 14 May, a 19-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli security forces after carrying out a suspected ramming attack near Hebron; an Israeli soldier was wounded in the incident. In Gaza, the calm that has prevailed in recent months continued. On 6 May, a rocket was fired from Gaza towards Israel.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The Court ruled that the sum would, at least in part, be collected from Palestinian Authority clearance revenues withheld since March 2019 under Israeli legislation concerning payments by the Palestinian Authority to security prisoners or families of Palestinians killed in attacks. Clashes between the Israeli security forces and Palestinians continued during the reporting period. Overall, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, two Palestinians, including a teenager, and an Israeli soldier were killed. Sixty-five Palestinians, including six children, and two Israelis, one child and one soldier, were injured in various incidents. On 28 April, a Palestinian man stabbed a 62-year-old Israeli woman in the Israeli city of Kfar Saba, moderately wounding her; he was arrested.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“An additional complicating factor, as of 9 May, is an amendment to an Israeli military order that purportedly holds Palestinian commercial banks liable for processing payments from the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian security prisoners, their families or the families of those killed in attacks. This development injects more uncertainty into the already vulnerable Palestinian financial system. On 24 April, the Jerusalem District Court issued a decision ordering the temporary confiscation of some $128 million from the Palestinian Authority as compensation to families of victims of attacks against Israelis during the second intifada.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Given the additional spending required to respond to and recover from the pandemic, estimates are that the Palestinian Authority’s fiscal deficit could exceed $2 billion this year. Israel has announced a soft loan of $233 million for a period of four months against future Palestinian clearance revenues. It will provide a critical fiscal lifeline for the Palestinian Authority. However, unless combined with a long-term response and reform strategy, including a resolution of the outstanding fiscal issues, that lifeline only postpones difficult fiscal decisions. Working with its international partners, the Palestinian Authority must also adopt emergency budget measures to address the pandemic along the lines recently laid out by the World Bank.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The Palestinian people are experiencing the same shock and uncertainty as the rest of humankind; however, their Government is unable to respond to the socioeconomic effects with the same agency as an independent sovereign State. It cannot avail itself of the conventional monetary and fiscal tools that sovereign countries ordinarily use in times of economic distress. It cannot influence interest rates, print money, devalue its currency or access international capital markets to finance the deficit spending needed to compensate those who have lost jobs and support businesses to stay afloat. The vulnerable fiscal position of the Palestinian Authority has been further damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its revenues are down sharply owing to restrictions on movement and business operations and to lower demand for goods.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Tens of thousands of Palestinians have lost their jobs, small and medium enterprises are unable to operate, children cannot attend school in person and violence against women and children has increased. As always, the most vulnerable are at the greatest risk of suffering. Recent gains in Gaza relating to water, sanitation, electricity and livelihoods are at extreme risk of being fully reversed. COVID-19 has damaged Gaza’s economy across sectors: around 13,000 industrial workers have temporarily lost their jobs and virtually all restaurants and hotels have ceased operations, leading to the release of over 10,000 workers, while perhaps half of all employees in the information and communications technologies sector have also been laid off.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“In Gaza, the health system continues to face immense challenges despite the low number of positive COVID-19 cases. As of the end of April, 44 per cent of essential medicines and 30 per cent of essential medical supplies in the Strip had less than a month’s stock remaining. The Rafah crossing with Egypt opened in one direction for three days between 12 and 14 May to allow for the return of 1,168 people to Gaza. Travel through the Erez crossing has been limited largely to urgent medical cases and those persons’ companions, as well as to staff of international organizations and returning Gaza residents. Approximately 460 people have been allowed to return to Gaza and some 225 others to exit through that crossing. As elsewhere around the world, the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on Palestinians have been immense.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The United Nations and its partners have continued to work to address these gaps and their ramifications. Thus far, over 50 per cent of the amount requested in the COVID-19 inter-agency response plan — some $23 million — has been raised. Including resources outside the response plan, some $39.5 million have been mobilized to support COVID-19-related activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. Pursuant to an agreement between the Palestinian and Israeli authorities, over 10,000 Palestinian labourers crossed into Israel from the West Bank on 3 May. They are part of an estimated 40,000 who were granted permits to stay in Israel until the end of Ramadan. On 4 May, Israel approved new regulations obligating employers in Israel to provide medical insurance and appropriate accommodation for Palestinian workers.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Despite growing political tensions, Palestinian and Israeli authorities have continued their notable coordination around efforts to limit the spread of the virus and are taking careful steps to reopen their economies and lift virus-related restrictions. Relatively successful prevention efforts in the occupied Palestinian territory have thus far ensured that the limited capacity of the health system has not been overwhelmed. However, there remain considerable concerns regarding the ability of the Palestinian health sector to cope with a potential surge in cases, especially in Gaza. In particular, there are continuing shortages of critical supplies, including testing materials, personal protective equipment, ventilators and essential intensive care unit equipment, owing to funding gaps and a shortage in global supply.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“I also call on my colleagues in the Middle East Quartet — the United States, the Russian Federation and the European Union — to work with the United Nations and quickly come forward with a proposal that will enable the Quartet to take up its mediation role and work jointly with countries of the region to advance the prospects for peace. Israel must abandon its annexation threats, and the Palestinian leadership must re-engage with all members of the Quartet. Everyone must do their part. Returning to the situation on the ground, let me note that it continues to be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“This new generation, born in the aftermath of the Oslo Accords, is disillusioned from a quarter of a century of efforts that have not led to statehood. We do not know what future they will carve out for themselves, but whatever future young Palestinians and Israelis do decide to build, we have an obligation to prevent violence and protect the chances for peace. I therefore ask the Security Council today to join the Secretary-General in his call in opposition to unilateral steps that will hinder current diplomatic efforts to create the conditions for bringing Israelis and Palestinians back to the table. We owe this to all the young Palestinians and Israelis out there.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“However, if I may speak openly and very frankly on the issue, whatever our individual assessments of the Palestinian reaction to the Israeli threat of annexation may be, that reaction is certainly one thing — it is a desperate cry for help. It is a call for immediate action and a cry for help from a generation of leadership that has invested its life over a quarter of a century in building institutions and preparing for statehood. The Palestinian leadership is not making threats. It is calling for urgent action to preserve the prospects for peace, and it is doing so at a time where a new, younger generation, with its own aspirations for the future, is stepping forward. Many of these young people feel betrayed and increasingly cynical.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The Palestinian leadership announced yesterday evening that it sees itself absolved “as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli Governments and of all the obligations based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones” and calls on Israel to assume its obligations as the occupying Power. This statement by President Mahmoud Abbas further calls for negotiations under international auspices, including by the Quartet, to advance a negotiated two-State solution. Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister in order to better understand the practical side of the decision by the leadership and its implications on the ground. If there is one concern we all share, it is that everyone needs to work together to prevent escalation and radicalization.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“Our unfaltering commitment to achieving a negotiated two-State solution remains resolute. The Secretary-General has warned on many occasions of the danger of unilateral action. The continuing threat of annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank would constitute a most serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-State solution, close the door to a renewal of negotiations and threaten efforts to advance regional peace and our broader efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security. Recent polls show that the Israeli public is divided on the issue. However, countries of the region and many in the international community have clearly stated their positions regarding annexation.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“I brief the Security Council today three days after a new coalition Government was sworn into office in Israel following a year of political uncertainty. I look forward to working with the new ministers on the challenges that lie ahead. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is not behind us. Managing its socioeconomic impact affects both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, and it will remain a serious challenge. Beyond the health aspects of the crisis, we need to ensure that cooperation among all sides continues in the interest of peace. To this end, the United Nations will work with the leaders of Israel and Palestine, as well as with our regional and international partners, to create the conditions for returning to meaningful Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“They continue to demonstrate on a daily basis their unwavering commitment to support efforts to contain this deadly pandemic, protect the most vulnerable and uphold the values of the United Nations, never losing sight of our common path to sustainable peace.”
2020-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/341 (2020) · source