YouSaid · the spoken record

Prendergast

lines on the record: 716
first: 1999-08-27
most recent: 2018-09-10
sittings or episodes: 36
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

“On 29 July, a 12-year-old Palestinian was shot dead and seven others - including three children - were wounded as Israeli troops fired on a funeral procession in the southern Gaza Strip. A few days earlier, on 26 July, a 12-year-old girl was shot from an IDF watchtower while she was playing soccer in an outlying neighbourhood of the Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. She died on the way to hospital. A 16- year-old Palestinian was killed by gunfire while standing at the window of his home in Beit Hanoun on 24 July. On 4 August, five Palestinians - including a 10-year-old boy - were killed in separate incidents in the West Bank and in Gaza. According to Palestinian sources, a 14-year-old Palestinian was killed in Beit Lahiya while sitting at home. In Rafah, one Palestinian was killed and five were injured in similar situations.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“On 21 July, against a background of ongoing Israeli military operations and increasing internal unrest, the Designated Official - UNRWA Commissioner- General Peter Hansen - raised the United Nations security phase rating to phase 4, which requires the movement of most international staff out of the Gaza Strip. On 5 August, UNRWA relocated all remaining international staff except the office staff of the Commissioner-General and his Deputy. I am sure that the Council will understand our concerns for their security and with regard to the restrictions imposed on their work, both by Israeli military operations and by increased internal unrest in the Palestinian Authority. An especially worrying phenomenon has been the number of children directly harmed by the ongoing violence.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Furthermore, prior to operation Forward Shield there had been three other incidents in which United Nations staff were trapped in crossfire at Erez: on 23 March, 15 April and 12 May 2004. From January to June this year, there were 44 recorded incidents in which United Nations buildings or installations were fired upon by Israeli security forces while United Nations staff were in them. We are deeply concerned about the unacceptably high number of security incidents involving United Nations staff that have been caused by IDF action over the past few weeks. Israel has an obligation to protect humanitarian workers and to facilitate their efforts.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Even as Israel strives to increase its security from attacks from the Gaza Strip, it must act in keeping with its international humanitarian law obligations. Israel must protect Palestinian civilians and their property by carrying out operations in a manner that is proportionate to the threat that it is trying to alleviate. According to the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator, there have been five incidents during operation Forward Shield in which, despite prior coordination, the IDF fired on areas where United Nations staff were present, and two incidents in which the IDF refused to allow United Nations staff caught in an exchange of fire at Erez to move to safety.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Access to Beit Hanoun was restricted to just one route, and all entry and exit required prior coordination with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), resulting in shortages of water, food and medical supplies in some areas. After protests from the international community, including public statements by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme, and interventions by the Europeans, Americans and the Office of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, an IDF redeployment from those areas and from most of Beit Hanoun started at 1 am. on Thursday, 5 August. According to UNRWA and OCHA, as of 6 August, 20 houses had been destroyed and 230 had been partially damaged, 6 wells had been damaged and 15 factories had been destroyed.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Fortunately - and remarkably - there were no injuries. A number of rockets landed in the Israeli town of Sderot on 29 July, this time injuring nine residents. In our most recent briefing, we informed the Council of the deaths in Sderot, including that of a child, that resulted from rocket strikes. While no deaths have resulted from the current wave of rocket attacks, the increasing number of them is worrying and is a real danger to civilians. Including the attacks to which I referred, as of 6 August, the United Nations has recorded a total of 106 attacks from the Gaza Strip during the same period, approximately 90 per cent of which would have been from Qassam rockets, with the remaining 10 per cent being mortar attacks. We call on the Palestinian Authority to take all steps necessary to bring those attacks to a halt.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Israeli troops have now been redeployed to the fringes of the city, but many areas of Beit Hanoun remain under a complete siege after the operation was extended not only into the centre of the city but also, just prior to the redeployment, towards the Jabalya refugee camp between Beit Hanoun and Gaza City. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 19 people have been killed and 140 injured in the operation to date. During the current reporting period, more than 60 rockets have been launched from Beit Hanoun at Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip, causing injury and property damage. On 21 July, a Qassam rocket fired from the Beit Hanoun area landed in the bedroom of a house in a kibbutz in the western Negev, where a mother and two children were sleeping.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“This brings the total number of Palestinian casualties since the eruption of the intifada to 34,770 and the total number of Israeli casualties to 6,102. A new and worrying pattern has recently been emerging: Palestinian militants launch Qassam rockets into Israel, followed by Israeli helicopter missile strikes into the Gaza Strip and ever-deeper incursions into areas adjacent to Israel. The northern Gaza Strip was the focus of a large-scale Israeli operation - operation Forward Shield - around the city of Beit Hanoun, which began on 29 June in the wake of a deadly Qassam attack on Sderot.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“For its part, the Palestinian Authority has obligations under agreements reached with Israel, under international humanitarian law and in accordance with its commitments under the road map to protect Israeli civilians from attacks emanating from territories in its control. It has failed to live up to those obligations, and Israeli civilians continue to suffer attacks from Palestinians, most recently in the form of Qassam rockets. For each side to cite the actions of the other does not in any way excuse it from fulfilling its own obligations. There can be no preconditions to the observance of humanitarian law and international agreements. Over the past month, 54 Palestinians have been killed and 400 Palestinians and 23 Israelis injured. Since September 2000, 3,553 Palestinians and 949 Israelis have been killed.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“Mr. Prendergast: I regret to report that since the Secretariat's most recent briefing to the Council, on 13 July (see S/PV.5002), there has been no tangible progress towards resuming the peace process in the Middle East, and violence has continued to claim innocent lives. Neither side has taken adequate steps to protect civilians, and both are in breach of their international legal obligations. Israel, as the occupying Power, has obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and not to destroy their property unless this is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. Palestinian civilians continue to fall victim in Israeli military operations. The scale of destruction of Palestinian property by the Israeli military raises concerns about collective punishment.”
2004-08-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5019 (2004) · source
“At the same time, the Palestinian Authority must act on its obligations under the road map provisions. Force will achieve neither a viable and independent Palestinian State nor a secure and recognized Israel. There will be no peace unless all of us - the parties, the region and the wider international community - are ready to play our parts. The rocky road to peace will continue to be fraught with difficulties and a constant danger of breakdowns and setbacks. Those who are waiting for guarantees in order to start moving forward will have to wait for a long time. To choose peace is to choose the difficult road, the road less travelled. But the alternative is a continued long, slow, inevitable descent into a landscape full of violence, hatred and bloodshed.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“The resumption of negotiations between Israel and Syria could greatly improve the political and security environment in the region and contribute to bringing hope back to its peoples. That goal - modest, attainable and in the interest of both parties - remains elusive. We reiterate our calls on Israel and Syria to resume talks aimed at achieving comprehensive peace in the region, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). In conclusion, the events of the past month have demonstrated yet again how desperately the people of the Middle East need a political solution to their long conflict. Israeli military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory cannot provide the real security that would come only from a negotiated settlement.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“It is very much in the interest of stability in the region that all parties abstain from action that could lead them down that dangerous and uncertain road. Israeli air violations of the Blue Line have also continued. On 11 June, 11 such Violations were recorded, involving a total of 33 aircraft. On that occasion, there was no retaliatory anti-aircraft fire. However, on 20 June, Hizbullah fired anti-aircraft rounds into Israel, damaging property. The Israeli air force then dropped two bombs on a suspected Hizbullah position. Once again, we call on the Israeli Government to cease such air violations, and we caution the Lebanese Government against permitting firing across the Blue Line. The situation between Israel and Syria has not changed since the last monthly briefing. It is unfortunate that no progress has been made on this track.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Despite calls by the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for Southern Lebanon on both sides to exercise restraint, the deterioration continued. The following day, Hizbullah launched an attack on IDF positions in the Sheba'a Farms area, wounding one Israeli soldier. Hizbullah claimed that that attack was a direct response to the Israeli air attack the day before. Israel in turn responded with heavy artillery fire, and an exchange of fire between Hizbullah and the IDF ensued for some two hours. While, fortunately, no fatalities were reported as a result of any of those actions, their escalatory nature is obvious, and they show how isolated events risk creating a chain reaction leading the parties straight into conflict.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“In the early morning of that day, three rockets were fired by an unidentified group from the Lebanese side towards Israel, close to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters in Naqoura. One landed near an Israeli patrol boat, and two others landed in Lebanese territory, in Naqoura. Shortly thereafter, Israeli jets violated Lebanese airspace. Later that evening, a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty took place when Israeli jets bombed a site in Naameh, just south of Beirut. Israel stated that the bombing of that site, a reported position of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, was in response to the launching of rockets from Lebanese territory earlier that day.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, is in close contact with the Government of Egypt regarding its initiative. I turn now to the situation in southern Lebanon. A number of serious breaches occurred in the past month, which could further destabilize the situation in the area. As mentioned in our last briefing, and indeed several times before, the parties have explicitly stated that they do not wish to see deterioration along the Blue Line. Recent events, however, indicate that further efforts are required from the parties to halt violations that are leading towards that outcome. The violations of 7 June are revealing in that respect.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“The Egyptian initiative in providing training to Palestinian Authority security forces could greatly improve the chances of the withdrawal being a success. Jordan's Interior Minister has stated that Jordan is ready to offer support to the Palestinian security services in the West Bank in a way similar to that proposed by the Egyptian Government for Gaza. We look forward to continued discussions between the Palestinian Authority and the Governments of Egypt and Jordan on security plans. The Quartet envoys are meeting in Taba tomorrow to discuss the action plan related to the proposed withdrawals. Mr.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“The involvement of the international community will be crucial to an effective handover in the Gaza Strip. Significant donor support could make the difference between hope and despair among Palestinians in Gaza. Close international involvement in both the political and the security aspects could also make the difference between success and failure. Quartet envoys have been meeting in the region to discuss ways of making withdrawal a success. Security Council guidance and supervision could help the parties to carry out clearly defined tasks. International involvement, however, cannot substitute for the parties effectively working to fulfil their obligations. Egypt and Jordan can assist this process. Both countries have so far displayed a welcome and commendable leadership.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Revitalizing, reorganizing and reforming the Palestinian Authority is not only a Quartet request; it is demanded by the Palestinian people, as expressed by their elected representatives and civil society activists. Those in the international community actively involved in the search for peace should call on President Arafat to act decisively to restore the Authority's credibility. Among the most urgent tasks, both for the Gaza withdrawal and more generally, is the strengthening of Palestinian institutions and promotion of the rule of law. This includes the genuine empowerment of Prime Minister Qurei and his cabinet, and the unification of the Palestinian security forces into three components under the authority of an empowered interior minister. We continue to await the implementation of these measures.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“These actions would not be a substitute for Israel's compliance with other obligations under the road map, such as the dismantlement of all settlement outposts erected since March 2001 and a move towards a full freeze of settlement activities, nor would they exempt Israel from compliance with its obligations as an occupying Power in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law. The Palestinian Authority, too, has a major role to play in the success of the withdrawal, and this role is contingent on the Palestinian leadership also fulfilling its obligations under the road map. The Palestinian Authority must establish security control in the vacated areas. It must work to make the withdrawal from Gaza an opportunity and a source of optimism for the Palestinian people.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“However, if the withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank is to become a new beginning in the peace process, both sides, Israeli and Palestinian, will have to play a part. Although the initiative is unilateral, its successful application requires cooperation between all parties. The position of the Quartet and the international community is known to the Council. To state it briefly, there must be a full and complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a transfer of authority and control to the Palestinians if withdrawal is to be recognized as an end of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip. To be a part of the implementation of the road map, the withdrawal also has to be accompanied by similar steps in the West Bank.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Under their plan, disengagement would proceed in four stages and would involve the evacuation of all settlements and military installations in the Gaza Strip as well as the dismantling of four settlements in the northern West Bank, by the end of 2005. First, the isolated Gaza settlements of Morag, Netzarim, and Kfar Darom would be evacuated and next the West Bank settlements of Kadim, Ganim, Sanur and Homesh. Then the remaining Gush Katif settlements would be evacuated, and finally, the northern Gaza settlements of Nissanit, Elei Sinai and Dugit would be dismantled. Another vote by the Israeli cabinet will be necessary before the actual implementation of the plan begins. Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Allah has stated that the Palestinian Authority welcomes the disengagement plan so long as it is implemented as a part of the road map.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“But the plan remains a solid map that includes both the road and the destination. It has been stalled so far, but with the international backing it enjoys it can easily be revived if both sides take the political decision to do so. We have repeatedly called on both parties to take the steps needed to make its implementation possible. As you know, our calls for bold and courageous action have gone unheeded. The stalemate continues. The proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank could help to break the stalemate. On 7 June, the Israeli Government adopted a plan related to this initiative.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Let me take this opportunity to state very plainly that reliance on the use of force and violence strengthens extremism on both sides and makes it more difficult to return to the negotiating table so as to achieve the compromises necessary for peace. Allow me also to repeat that the Quartet's road map, despite failure to move ahead with its implementation, remains the only solution that can truly achieve the national aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis. The road map sets out specific practical measures leading to an end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and to the emergence of a viable independent and sovereign Palestinian State, while ensuring that Israelis will live in peace and security. True, implementation of the road map has stalled. Indeed, it never truly started.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“I am pleased to report the success of the intergovernmental conference in Geneva on the subject of "Meeting the Humanitarian Needs of the Palestine Refugees in the Near East: Building Partnerships in Support of UNRW ", hosted by the Government of Switzerland. The Geneva conference reaffirmed the central role of UNRWA in meeting the humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees until a final political settlement is reached. It recognized the need for donor support to be enhanced, and it endorsed an ambitious five-year plan that would enable UNRWA to transfer assets, not liabilities, when the Agency is eventually called upon to hand over its responsibilities to other actors. With effective follow-up, the conference should help place UNRWA on a stronger political and financial footing.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Repeated protests against the far-reaching consequences of such an intrusion deep inside the West Bank have gone unheeded. Confiscation of Palestinian land for the construction of the Israeli barrier and for other purposes has also continued. During the reporting period, increasing numbers of Palestinians and international peace activists demonstrated against the construction of the barrier, and in some instances, Israeli troops fired tear gas and plastic-coated bullets at the demonstrators, injuring dozens. In Zawiya, in the northern West Bank, clashes have been going on intermittently since 9 June, in the context of Israeli land-levelling operations there.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“UNRWA has lodged official protests with the Israeli authorities concerning those incidents. On 9 June, also in Jenin, armed Palestinians entered UNRWA's offices and opened fire. Luckily there were no injuries. The armed men were camp residents dissatisfied with the donor-funded project to reconstruct demolished homes. UNRWA has protested to the Palestinian Authority over the threats to its staff. This disturbing incident highlights the obligation of the Authority to implement security reform. Construction of the Israeli barrier continued at a rapid pace in and around Jerusalem. On 8 June, IDF troops bulldozed a car park belonging to Al-Quds University in Abu Dis. On 13 June, the IDF began preparations for the construction of the barrier to the east of the settlement of Ariel.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Also during the reporting period, there has been a disturbing increase in attacks against and harassment of United Nations staff and property. In the Jenin refugee camp, during an IDF incursion early on the morning of 20 May, the head of UNRWA's Jenin Camp Reconstruction Project was bound, blindfolded and interrogated by Israeli soldiers for three hours. There have also been troubling incidents of violence near United Nations-run schools. In one incident on 23 May, IDF troops fired at stone-throwers and entered an UNRWA school in the Fawwar camp in the West Bank; four pupils were injured. On 2 June, two 10-year-old Palestinian pupils were injured in their classroom in an UNRWA school in Rafah when they were hit by a bullet. The same day, IDF troops opened fire near a second UNRWA school in the area, causing panic among the students.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“In light of the toll of Palestinian deaths and injuries and large-scale property destruction resulting from Israeli military operations, it is also necessary to remind the Israeli authorities of their responsibilities under international humanitarian law, as the occupying Power, to protect Palestinian civilians and their property. Palestinian Violence has continued as well. On 22 May, a Palestinian suicide bomber killed himself and injured one IDF soldier, as well as four Palestinians, at the Hamra checkpoint in the West Bank. On 28 May, an IDF officer was killed in the Balata refugee camp during an Israeli operation there. On 29 May, a Palestinian stabbed and injured an Israeli civilian in the Old City of Jerusalem. During the period, 10 mortars were fired on Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducted a number of search-and-arrest operations following security warnings. Curfews were imposed repeatedly in most West Bank Palestinian towns and villages. Bethlehem was declared a closed military zone for almost a week. Extrajudicial killings also continued through the reporting period. On 23 May, three Palestinians were killed and four were injured when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a Palestinian car in Nablus. On 30 May, an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a motorcycle in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, killing a senior Hamas leader, his assistant and a third Palestinian, as well as wounding 10 bystanders. I wish to repeat the Secretary-General's call on the Government of Israel to cease the illegal practice of extrajudicial killings.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 167 buildings, housing 379 families or 2,066 people, were destroyed or damaged beyond repair by Israeli forces in what was one of the most destructive operations in the Gaza Strip since September 2000. Since that date, a total of 1,476 structures have been destroyed in Rafah town and refugee camp, affecting almost 15,000 people. In the course of Operation Rainbow, 53 Palestinians were killed. The operation uncovered three tunnels used to smuggle weapons. On 2 and 3 June, Israeli forces, with tanks and bulldozers, again entered Rafah town and camp, demolishing 11 more buildings, 4 of them partially. During the reporting period, closures continued throughout the West Bank.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Since the last monthly briefing, 39 Palestinians and 2 Israelis have been killed and 309 Palestinians and 32 Israelis wounded. That brings the total number of casualties since the start of the current crisis in September 2000 to 3,437 Palestinians and 942 Israelis killed, with 33,776 Palestinians and 6,008 Israelis wounded. The last briefing by the Secretariat took place on 21 May, amid grave concerns over the Israeli incursion into Rafah in the Gaza Strip, which lasted until 24 May. It was only after the briefing that a full picture emerged of the impact that Operation Rainbow had had on the ground.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“Mr. Prendergast: Since the Secretariat's last briefing to the Security Council, the situation in the Middle East has remained tense. On the ground, the conflict continues to claim lives, economic conditions worsen, hope for a better future is low, suffering continues - all of which contribute to a climate of despair and extremism. Bad as it is, the situation could get still worse. At the same time, peace and reconciliation are not beyond reach. The basis, parameters and contours of peace are known to all. The international community stands ready to assist the parties if they themselves show the necessary will. What remains elusive is the readiness of the parties themselves to take the difficult but necessary decisions.”
2004-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4995 (2004) · source
“In fact, there is a better way, in the shape of the road map. It is not new, but it is viable, once the leadership on both sides have the Vision and the courage to start following it in good faith and with determination, and to continue along it to the very end. As always, it is a question of political will.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Roed-Larsen met last week with Presidents Katzav, Lahoud and Assad, as well as with other Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian officials in order to explore ways in which it might be possible to make headway on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks. He will continue his efforts. There is no intrinsic reason why those tracks should remain frozen; the ingredients of peace are in place. What is needed now are political decisions by the parties to move ahead quickly. A Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli peace agreement would radically improve the atmosphere in the region in favour of peace and security. Let me conclude by saying that I regret very much the need to deliver such a melancholy briefing, full of death and destruction and human misery. Surely, the people of Israel and Palestine deserve better news, rays of hope. There has to be a better way.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“The United Nations has also on many occasions pointed to the unwarranted and provocative nature of Israeli air violations and has called upon the Israeli authorities to halt them. The Lebanese authorities too have been urged repeatedly to halt the firing of anti-aircraft rounds from Lebanese territory, which in the past have caused civilian fatalities. All parties have claimed that they do not wish to see a deterioration of the situation along the Blue Line. Given the potential for any incident to escalate, we urge the Governments of Lebanon and Israel to follow up their stated intentions to ensure calm along the Blue Line with actions on the ground and to refrain from further hostile acts. If I may say a word about Syria and Israel, on the instructions of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“The IDF in turn claimed that Hizbullah had planted booby traps on the perimeter of the IDF position. At the request of the Government of Lebanon, UNIFIL undertook an investigation, but was unable to confirm or deny the claims by either party. Following the incidents of 5 May, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for southern Lebanon, Staffan de Mistura, publicly urged both sides to exercise restraint amidst a background of high regional tension. The Secretary-General, on 7 May, expressed his great concern about the escalations of that week and strongly urged the parties to exercise restraint. The United Nations has consistently criticized the use of force by either side and has called on the parties to abide by their obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Less than 48 hours later, Hizbullah engaged the IDF in an exchange of fire in the Shab'a farms area, when they launched missiles, mortars and small arms fire against an IDF position. One Israeli soldier was killed and five others were injured. The IDF responded with tank, artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, as well as with aerial bombs, in the vicinity of Shab'a and Kafr Shuba. In addition, the IDF targeted a position of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with three smoke rounds, which UNIFIL strongly protested to the IDF. We have reminded Israel of the inviolability of United Nations personnel and property. The Lebanese authorities asserted that the firing by Hizbullah came after an IDF patrol had violated the Blue Line in the Shab'a farms.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“No doubt, that is a worst-case scenario, but it is one that we should keep in mind while urging the parties to follow the right path. If I may turn now to the situation in southern Lebanon, troubling incidents in the past month again demonstrated the fragility of the situation along the Blue Line. On 5 May there were more than 20 Israeli air incursions into Lebanon, across the Blue Line. Ensuing anti-aircraft fire by Hizbullah resulted in rounds landing close to the Israeli town of Shalomi. The IDF responded with air raids on two suspected Hizbullah positions south-east of Tyre. Fortunately, no casualties were reported on either side. These events ended a six-week period of relative calm.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Thirdly, we note that all parties have a stake and responsibilities in this regard: the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, regional players, the Quartet and, of course, the Security Council. We detailed those roles and responsibilities in our last briefing, delivered by Mr. Roed-Larsen, and I need not repeat them here. However, if Israel pulled out from the Strip while retaining control over the crossings and sealing off Gaza, while at the same time a weakened Palestinian Authority failed to maintain law and order and the international community refrained from footing the bill for the consequences of such a scenario, nothing less than a humanitarian disaster would hit Gaza, which could then become a hub for terror and chaos.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“The only positive news in this regard is the announcement by the World Bank in late April that it was launching a new trust fund to support the Palestinian Authority budget and reform. Norway has transferred $12 million into the new fund. In the midst of so much destruction and violence, as we try to look for ways out of the impasse, the following points may be relevant. First, the idea of an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip seems to have gained momentum and now looks more likely than before. Secondly, there is agreement in the international community that withdrawal from Gaza should be carried out in a way that makes it an end of the occupation and signals a new beginning for the peace process.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Despite that, so-called back-to-back platforms continued to restrict commercial traffic between most urban centres. Roadblocks, checkpoints, earth mounds, ditches and gates have continued to be enforced in 2004. Furthermore, checkpoints and earth mounds are removed and re-imposed at short notice, preventing Palestinians from planning economic and social activity. The financial position of the Palestinian Authority remains critical. Revenues are expected to be 3 per cent less than pre-crisis levels, while expenditures have risen 25 per cent during the same period. The monthly budget deficit, currently at approximately $35 million, is nearly 50 per cent higher than pre-crisis levels.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Recent economic indicators show that unemployment increased by 2 per cent in the first quarter of 2004 and that the number of Palestinians working in Israel declined by approximately 2,000 persons during the same period, out of approximately 56,000 Palestinians estimated to work in Israel during that time. Unemployment increased for the second consecutive quarter and now stands at 26.3 per cent. Gazan workers were only able to leave Gaza for approximately seven days in March, but since Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi's killing, the Erez crossing has been closed to workers entering Israel. Following Prime Minister Sharon's announcement in December 2003 that restrictions on movement would be lifted, there had been some signs this year that closures had eased periodically.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Israel must abide by its obligations as the occupying Power, which include protecting the civilian population and eschewing the use of disproportionate or indiscriminate force. During this reporting period, Israel continued its policy of extrajudicial killings. On 15 May the Israeli air force carried out air strikes against the house and office of an Islamic Jihad leader, Mohamed Hindi, in an attempt to kill him. We again call on Israel to cease immediately this illegal policy. IDF raids and incursions in Palestinian areas continued. Palestinians sources claimed that the number of raids and incursions during the past month number 239 in the West Bank and 58 in the Gaza Strip. Those raids were accompanied by arrests in 141 cases. Not surprisingly in these circumstances, the Palestinian economy continued to languish.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“To date, UNRWA has managed to re-house only 1,000 homeless people. Particularly disturbing, amid the Violence in Gaza, was Israel's strike that resulted in deaths among a crowd of demonstrators on 19 May in Rafah. At least eight Palestinians, many of them children, were killed as they protested against the military operation. Israel apologized for the deaths, saying that they might have been caused by an errant shell, but that does not excuse the Israeli military for firing heavy weapons near a crowd of civilians. The Secretary-General strongly condemned the tragic event and called on Israel immediately to halt the military operations in Gaza. Let me reiterate what he said then and what we have said consistently throughout the current hostilities.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Since then, the IDF has demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes in Rafah. In just the two days following the 12 May attack, more than 1,000 people in Rafah were rendered homeless. The Government of Israel says that the destruction is part of an effort to stem the flow into Gaza of arms used to attack Israelis. The Secretary-General has condemned such actions and has reminded Israel both of its obligations under international law and that collective punishment is a grave breach of international humanitarian law. In total, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reports that more than 18,000 people have lost their homes in Gaza since the outbreak of the uprising in September 2000. UNRWA estimates that it would cost $32 million to re-house them.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Palestinian militants belonging to the Islamic Jihad and Hamas took away the body parts of the dead soldiers, adding a gruesome new dimension to an already ugly situation. The IDF announced that it would continue besieging the neighbourhood until the body parts were restored, effectively taking the civilian population hostage and punishing them for actions committed by the militants. Three days later, on 12 May, just as the Government of Egypt had negotiated the restitution of the slain soldiers' bodies to the IDF and the end of the siege, a landmine in Rafah destroyed a second Israeli armoured personnel carrier, killing five soldiers and injuring three others. Another round of heavy fighting ensued, resulting in the death of 24 Palestinians and injury to 200 others.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“In the same area, the IDF began constructing a seven-kilometre barrier and installed a barbed-wire fence running from the Kfar Darom settlement to the Qissufim road. Also on 9 May, Israeli forces carried out a large- scale incursion into the densely populated Az-Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. During the incursion, Palestinian militants ambushed and destroyed an armoured personnel carrier, killing six soldiers. Heavy fighting ensued, resulting in the deaths of 13 Palestinians, among them four children and a 60-year- old man, and in injuries to more than 100 people, among them at least 25 children. The IDF also shelled buildings in the neighbourhood, inflicting extensive material damage.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“Moreover, the Quartet needs a reformed Palestinian Authority as a full and effective partner. While the parties stalled and deferred the critical decisions facing them, the situation on the ground deteriorated quickly. On 2 May, a Palestinian gunman killed a pregnant Israeli woman and her four children in cold blood near a settlement in the Gaza Strip. On the same day, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) destroyed 12 houses in the neighbouring Azirr area in Khan Younis. On 3 May, one house was destroyed and another partially damaged in the neighbouring Abu Alajeen area. A few days later, the mourners for the mother and her four children were shot at during the funeral. The IDF demolished the house from where the shooting originated, and, on 9 May, it demolished nine other houses.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source
“We called on President Arafat to take a historic action in order to reinvigorate and refocus the Palestinian Authority, end the current vacuum and paralysis, and revitalize the Palestinian leadership. Such action is needed in order to address the Palestinian Authority's frustrating and increasing credibility deficit in the area of security reform, and, therefore, to engage Israel on the track of peace. The international community is entitled to judge the Palestinian Authority by its actions in this regard. It is essential, in our view, that the Palestinian Authority grasp the nettle of reform without further delay. First of all, the Palestinian Authority will need to provide effective rule of law and government services in the event of a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”
2004-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4974 (2004) · source