YouSaid · the spoken record

Wennesland

lines on the record: 576
first: 2021-05-27
most recent: 2023-12-19
sittings or episodes: 31
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“During this period, Israeli authorities reduced the handling fee for fuel that Israel transfers to the PA on a monthly basis to increase revenues in the PA. On 9 July, Israel’s Security Cabinet voted to act to “prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority”. On 30 July, President Mahmoud Abbas presided over a meeting of Secretaries-General of Palestinian factions in Egypt, calling for a follow-up committee to complete dialogue to end divisions and achieve Palestinian national unity. On 10 August, President Abbas issued a presidential decree removing 12 of the 16 PA governors from office, including four from Gaza. On 14 August, participants at a Hamas-organized meeting called for elections to take place in Gaza under Central Elections Commission supervision — a call welcomed by Hamas.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“An Israeli minister visited the holy sites on the Jewish commemoration day of Tisha B’Av and called on Israelis to “return” to the sites and “show our governance”. In a speech, a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official said that Hitler “fought against the Jews because they were dealing with usury and money” and denied that “Hitler killed the Jews for being Jews”. Officials or official social media posts from Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions glorified perpetrators of attacks against Israeli civilians. Resolution 2334 (2016) reiterates calls by the Middle East Quartet for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution. Notwithstanding some positive steps, negative trends continued.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Palestinian protestors have thrown stones and explosive devices towards Israeli security forces and launched incendiary balloons, and Israeli security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas at protestors, causing casualties. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls for the parties to refrain from acts of provocation, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric. Unfortunately, such acts continued. In an interview, an Israeli minister said: “my right and that of my wife and my children to travel on the roads in Judea and Samaria is more important than the freedom of movement for Arabs.” A member of the Israeli Knesset said that any “Palestinians running away from an Israel Defense Forces [IDF] soldier must be shot,” adding, that “a Palestinian who approaches an IDF soldier must also be shot”.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Settlers killed a 19-year-old Palestinian and injured another. One Israeli was injured by Palestinians throwing stones. Israeli police arrested two Israelis and placed them under house arrest. In addition, on 27 August, the Israeli settlers burned land south of Nablus and threw stones onto Palestinian houses. Three Israelis, including one woman, were killed by Palestinian gunmen in shooting attacks in the occupied West Bank on 19 and 21 August. In other incidents, on 15 August, armed Palestinians near Jenin attempted and failed to launch an improvised rocket towards an Israeli settlement in the area. In Gaza, since late August, Palestinians have resumed protests near the perimeter fence.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Many Palestinian casualties in the occupied West Bank occurred in the context of Israeli operations in Area A, including some during subsequent armed clashes with increasingly sophisticated weaponry. On 15 August, in the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp, south of Jericho, two Palestinians, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli security forces. Two others were killed on 17 and 22 August, including a 16-year-old boy, in Jenin and the nearby village of Zababida. On 19 September, four Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in the Jenin refugee camp during intensive armed exchanges. Settler-related violence continued throughout the reporting period, including on 4 August, when armed Israeli settlers approached the village of Burqa, near Ramallah, leading to stone-throwing confrontations with Palestinians.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“In addition, 2 Palestinians were killed and 73 injured, including three women and 12 children, amid a high level of attacks by Israeli settlers. Ten Israelis, including one woman, two children and three Israeli security forces personnel, were killed, and 122 Israelis, including six women and six children, and 33 ISF personnel, were injured by Palestinians in attacks, clashes, stone-throwing and other incidents. Israeli security forces carried out 1,042 search-and- arrest operations in the West Bank, resulting in 1,504 Palestinians arrested, including 88 children. Israel currently holds 1,264 Palestinians in administrative detention, the highest number in over a decade. The high number of fatal incidents during the reporting period precludes us from detailing all of them, but allow me to highlight a few.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Fifty-nine schools, serving some 6,500 Palestinian students, are at risk of demolition. In a continuing trend, many Palestinians, including children, left their communities, citing violence by settlers and shrinking grazing land. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction. Unfortunately, daily violence continued. Over the reporting period, 68 Palestinians, including 18 children, were killed by Israeli security forces during demonstrations, clashes, security operations, attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis, and other incidents. A total of 2,830 Palestinians, including 30 women and 559 children, were injured. Of that number, 271 were injured by live ammunition, and 2,119 by tear gas inhalation.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced people to demolish 238 structures, displacing 183 people, including 46 women and 91 children. A total of 32 of those structures were donor funded. On 11 July, Israeli security forces evicted a Palestinian family living in Jerusalem’s Old City since the 1950s, handing the property to a settler organization, following a Supreme Court ruling that the property is owned by a Jewish trust, based on Israeli laws that allow only Jews to reclaim property they owned pre- 1948. On 17 August, a Palestinian elementary school in Ein Samiya serving nearly 80 pupils was demolished days before the start of the school year.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“On 11 September, a plan was advanced for 3,500 housing units, most of which are located in East Jerusalem on land owned by the Greek Orthodox Church. The Church said the units will be for members of the Christian community. On 18 June, the Israeli Government removed the requirement for ministerial approval at interim stages of settlement planning and delegated that authority to the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defense, likely expediting settlement expansion. On 2 August, the Israeli Supreme Court dismissed a petition to dismantle an outpost established in the former settlement of Homesh in the occupied West Bank, evacuated under the 2005 disengagement law. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures continued across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Mr. Wennesland: Today’s briefing is devoted to the twenty-seventh report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). The reporting period is from 15 June to 19 September. Resolution 2334 (2016) calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard. Settlement activity has, nevertheless, continued. Israeli authorities advanced plans for 6,300 housing units in Area C, including the retroactive legalization, under Israeli law, of three outposts near the settlement of Eli. In East Jerusalem, approximately 3,580 housing units were advanced.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two- State solution, in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“Violence continues on the upswing, with over 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel thus far this year, already surpassing 2022’s annual figures and the highest figures since 2005. Settlement expansion continues unabated. The fragility of the PA fiscal situation, compounded by funding shortages facing key United Nations agencies, threatens to worsen the plight of the most vulnerable Palestinians. While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalation of the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“I echo the messages of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon in urging all actors to exercise restraint and to avoid any further violence. As tensions along the Blue Line continue, including with respect to the disputed Sheba’a Farms and Al-Ghajar, I urge political leaders in Lebanon and Israel to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric. I further urge the parties to continue their close engagement with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to defuse tensions and avoid any escalation, in addition to upholding their respective obligations under resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006). Since my most recent briefing (see S/PV.9361), we have witnessed the continuation of the negative trajectory that has marked this conflict for far too long.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“In violation of Palestinian law and the State of Palestine’s international obligations, seven civilians in Gaza were sentenced to death for collaboration with Israel after a Hamas military appeals court upheld and strengthened previous sentences. I echo the Secretary- General in highlighting that the United Nations opposes the imposition of the death penalty in all circumstances. Turning to the region, on the Golan, the ceasefire between Israel and Syria has been generally maintained. However, the situation has remained volatile owing to continued violations of the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement of Forces by both parties. In Lebanon, violent clashes in the Ein Al-Hilweh Palestine refugee camp between Fatah and Islamist factions have led to at least 13 fatalities, with over 50 people injured.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“In Gaza, the cessation of hostilities continues to hold. Nevertheless, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The reporting period saw higher-than-normal electricity shortages of up to 12 hours per day, driven by a lack of capacity to meet soaring demand during the summer. On 1 August, the Gaza power plant increased electricity supply by nearly two hours a day thanks to additional funding from Qatar. The power cuts sparked popular protests directed at Hamas authorities over living conditions, with thousands of Palestinians taking to the streets on 30 July. Video images of Hamas security forces beating protesters circulated widely. The protests were matched by Hamas-led counterprotests against the Israeli closure regime.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“On 30 July, President Mahmoud Abbas chaired a meeting of Secretaries-General of Palestinian factions in El Alamein, Egypt, which he convened following the major Israeli military operation in Jenin. Senior officials from Hamas and other Palestinian factions participated, while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad refused to attend. In a subsequent statement, President Abbas called for a follow-up committee to complete dialogue on the issues discussed to “end divisions and achieve Palestinian national unity”. On 10 August, President Abbas issued a presidential decree, retiring 12 out of the 16 PA governors and establishing a committee to recommend candidates to the President for selection. On 14 August, following a consultative meeting organized by Hamas, the movement welcomed the call by factions to hold local elections in Gaza.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“To get through the end of the year, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) needs $35 million urgently to maintain food assistance for 1.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, while the World Food Programme requires $41 million to restore its operations across the occupied Palestinian territory. It is worrisome that, more than halfway through 2023, the humanitarian appeal for Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory is funded at just over 30 per cent. I encourage Member States to maintain and increase their funding to United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners to ensure that they can continue delivering vital services on the ground.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“Some $14 million continues to be withheld each month in line with an Israeli law mandating the withholding of what Israel says the Palestinian Authority (PA) pays to perpetrators of attacks against Israelis or their families. The PA’s fiscal state remains dire with a projected deficit of more than $370 million for 2023. Austerity measures have resulted in significant reductions to civil servant salaries and social assistance. Meanwhile, funding shortages continue to curtail United Nations agencies’ ability to provide crucial services to Palestinians.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“The demolitions were carried out owing to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. On 17 August, a Palestinian elementary school in Ein Samiya serving nearly 80 pupils was demolished days before the start of the school year — the third such demolition in the past year. I call on Israeli authorities to end demolitions of Palestinian-owned property and the displacement and eviction of Palestinians and to approve additional plans that would enable Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs. In July, Israel ended the additional monthly deductions of some $14 million from Palestinian clearance revenues which began in February.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“The outpost had been set up following an amendment to that law by the Israeli Knesset in March, lifting the ban on Israelis entering the area. On 7 August, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee advanced plans for approximately 2,000 housing units in the settlements of Nof Zion and Ramat Alon in East Jerusalem. On 14 August, Israeli security forces demolished four structures in an outpost near Kokhav HaShahar settlement in the West Bank. I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and a substantial obstacle to peace. Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced owners to demolish 58 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and six in East Jerusalem, displacing 28 Palestinians, including 14 children.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“Two days prior, settlers from the same outpost reportedly installed a tent and grazed sheep on private Palestinian land near the village. As the violence spirals, I again reiterate that all perpetrators must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice. Violence against civilians, including acts of terror, are unacceptable and must be condemned and rejected by all. Security forces must exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when strictly unavoidable to protect life. Turning to settlement-related developments, on 3 August, the Israeli Supreme Court dismissed a petition to dismantle an outpost established in the former settlement of Homesh, in the northern West Bank, evacuated as part of the 2005 Disengagement Law.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“On 5 August, a Palestinian from Jenin shot and killed a municipal patrolman in Tel Aviv, before being killed by a second patrolman. Turning to settler violence, on 2 August an Israeli guard of the Ofra settlement fatally wounded a 17-year- old Palestinian after he reportedly threw a Molotov cocktail towards the settlement. On 4 August, armed Israeli settlers from the nearby outpost of Ramat Migron approached Burqa village near Ramallah, leading to stone-throwing confrontations with Palestinians. Settlers fired live ammunition, killing a 19-year- old Palestinian and injuring another. One Israeli was injured by Palestinians throwing stones. Israel police arrested two Israelis on suspicion of involvement in the killing. Six Palestinians were also arrested.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“All were claimed as members by Palestinian militant groups. In another incident, a 13-year-old boy died by an improvised explosive device in Qalqilya on 26 July. Palestinians also carried out attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis. On 25 July, three Palestinians claimed by Hamas opened fire towards an Israeli checkpoint near the Mount Gerizim community, in the northern West Bank, and were shot and killed by Israeli security forces. On 1 August, a Palestinian shot and injured six Israelis at a shopping mall in Ma’ale Adumim, near Jerusalem, before being killed by Israeli security forces. The same day, Israeli security forces shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy who allegedly attempted to stab two Israeli soldiers near a settlement, south of Hebron.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“According to Israeli sources, one member of Israeli security forces was killed, and nine Israelis, including a woman and a child, were injured by Palestinians in shooting attacks, stone-throwing and other incidents. As in previous months, many Palestinian casualties in the West Bank occurred in the context of Israeli operations and clashes in Area A. On 26 July and from 11 to 15 August, five Palestinians, including a 16-year- old and a 17-year-old, were killed by Israeli security forces in refugee camps near Nablus, Tulkarem and Jericho. Israeli security forces also killed three Palestinians on 6 August, including a 15-year-old boy, near Jenin, when Israeli security forces opened fire on their vehicle. According to a statement by Israeli security agencies, the three intended to carry out an imminent attack against Israelis.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addresses the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides. We are a long way from the sentiment that prevailed when the Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago, on 19 August. Between 25 July and 15 August, 16 Palestinians, including five children, were killed, and 59 Palestinians, including six women and 137 children, were injured by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis and other incidents. Another Palestinian was killed and eight others, including one child, were injured by Israeli settlers and other civilians in shooting attacks, stone-throwing and other incidents.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“Mr. Wennesland: I brief the Council today as the concerning trends we have seen in recent months continue throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near-daily violence, including just hours before this briefing, when another fatal shooting attack killed an Israeli in the West Bank. This violence is fuelled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future. While the parties have taken some actions towards stabilizing the situation on the ground, unilateral steps, including settlement growth and demolitions, continue, as do Israeli operations in Area C, Palestinian militant activity and settler violence.”
2023-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9400 (2023) · source
“The United Nations remains committed to assisting those efforts, and to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in resolving the conflict and ending the occupation through the achievement of a two-State solution, in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“At the same time, it is crucial to bring the parties back onto a path that addresses the political issues driving the current dynamics so that the process of resolving the core issues can begin. The deepening occupation and settlement expansion, the high levels of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, and, critically, the absence of a political horizon, are rapidly eroding the hope among Palestinians and Israelis, particularly young people, that a resolution of the conflict is achievable. I urge all leaders to put on the brakes and rethink the options. The choice is clear — either to continue along the downward spiral of violence and provocations, leading to a political vacuum, or to turn towards constructive dialogue linked to concrete actions that can create hope and a political horizon.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“While the ceasefire that followed the Gaza escalation in May has held, there is a constant risk that the events in the West Bank could spill over into Gaza. Likewise, the Palestinian Authority’s fiscal and institutional challenges, exacerbated by funding shortages, including for United Nations agencies, affecting the delivery of crucial basic services, remain concerning and may further aggravate the deterioration of the situation on the ground. Let there be no doubt — neither the PA nor the United Nations will be able to provide humanitarian assistance if donors do not urgently step up financial support. In recent days and weeks the United Nations has remained in close contact with all the parties to help restore relative calm and change the current disastrous trajectory. We must act urgently and collectively to stop the violence.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“I call on the Government of Israel to cease advancing all settlement activity immediately, end the demolitions of Palestinian-owned property and prevent the possible displacement and eviction of Palestinians, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. I urge Israel to approve plans that can enable Palestinian communities in Area C and East Jerusalem to build legally and address their development needs. In conclusion, I underscore that the speed and intensity of the security deterioration we are witnessing on the ground are extremely dangerous. The events that are unfolding seriously challenge broader stability and undermine the Palestinian Authority.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“I remain deeply troubled by the relentless expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which fuels violence and is impeding Palestinians’ access to their land and resources, reshaping the geography of the occupied West Bank and threatening the viability of a future Palestinian State. In that regard, I note with alarm the recent decision of the Government of Israel that may expedite the expansion in Area C. Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“I reiterate that security forces must exercise maximum restraint, use force proportionately and lethal force only when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life, and must conduct thorough, independent, impartial and prompt investigations into all instances of the possible excessive use of force. Children in particular must never be targets of violence, and they must never be used or put in harm’s way. I strongly condemn any inciteful, provocative statements from officials on either side that further inflame the volatile situation on the ground.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“I condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including all acts of terror, which exacerbate mistrust and undermine a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The violence must stop, and all perpetrators must be held accountable. I am particularly alarmed by the extreme levels of settler violence, including the large numbers of settlers — many of them armed — systematically attacking Palestinian villages, terrorizing communities, sometimes in the proximity of Israeli security forces. As the occupying Power, Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians and their property in the occupied Palestinian territory and to ensure prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all acts of violence.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“With regard to other significant developments, on 16 June, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced that it had resumed its service delivery to Palestine refugees in the West Bank after nearly four months of disruption due to a work dispute with the West Bank staff union and a strike. UNRWA operations in the West Bank, including 42 health clinics and 90 schools for more than 40,000 children, have since fully resumed. I will now turn to several observations with regard to the implementation of the provisions of resolution 2334 (2016) during the reporting period. I remain gravely concerned by the escalating spiral of violence we are witnessing in the occupied West Bank.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“The meeting had been anticipated as an important opportunity for the parties to discuss urgent steps to improve their economic relationship and deliver on existing commitments. Similarly, plans for a Ministerial meeting of the Negev Forum later this summer, to be hosted by Morocco, were also postponed. On 26 June, the Israeli Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Committee reportedly advanced plans for over 5,500 housing units in Israeli settlements in Area C. Some 750 units near Eli were added to the agenda after the 20 June attack there and following an announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office that Israel’s answer to terrorism is to strike at it forcefully and build up our country. The plans advanced reportedly include the retroactive regularization, under Israeli law, of three outposts adjacent to Eli.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“Several concerning developments related to Israeli settlement expansion took place during the reporting period. On 18 June, the Israeli Government approved significant amendments to Israeli settlement planning procedures that could expedite advancement of Israeli settlements plans. The amendments remove, inter alia, the requirement for the Minister of Defense to approve interim settlement-planning stages, and delegate the Minister’s authority in that regard to the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defense, currently Bezalel Smotrich. In response to this decision, the Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee Hussein Al-Sheikh announced in a tweet that the Palestinian Authority would not participate in a long-awaited meeting of the Joint Economic Committee scheduled for 19 June.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“He also called for a widespread military campaign in the West Bank, urging the ISF to “blow up buildings [and] assassinate terrorists — not one, or two, but dozens, hundreds, or if needed, thousands”. The Minister’s call to establish unauthorized outposts was later repudiated by Prime Minister Netanyahu at a Cabinet meeting, where he said that “calls to grab land illegally and actions of grabbing land illegally are unacceptable” and that Israeli authorities would act to stop them, while promoting settlement expansion in approved locations. Meanwhile, Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, celebrated the 20 June attack against Israeli civilians as an “act of heroism” and called for additional attacks.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“Reactions by officials to the numerous incidents have varied, with some rejecting the violence and condemning vigilantism, while others are making deeply alarming, inflammatory statements. On 24 June, the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Israeli Security Agency and the Israeli Police Commissioner issued a joint statement condemning the settler attacks, which they called nationalist terrorism, and vowing to take steps to combat them. These steps include increasing the presence of forces, stepping up arrests and widening the use of administrative detention against individuals participating in such attacks. The previous day, an Israeli Minister and Cabinet member had visited an illegal settlement outpost and called on settlers to “run to the hilltops” and establish additional outposts, also illegal under Israeli law.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“To date, Israeli police have said that 11 Israelis have been detained, including two off-duty IDF personnel, in relation to the various attacks. Amid those developments, on the night of 21 June, armed Palestinians fired towards Al-Jalamah checkpoint, north of Jenin. An Israeli drone subsequently launched a missile at their vehicle, killing three Palestinians, one a child. The IDF said that the three were responsible for a number of shooting attacks in the West Bank. Two were later claimed as members by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the third by the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. On 26 June, Palestinians from the so-called Al-Ayyash Brigades attempted to launch two rockets from the Jenin area towards Israel. Both fell short in the occupied Palestinian territory, with no damage or injuries reported.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“Also on 20 June, in Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, a settler arsonist also targeted a gas station and three Palestinians, including a child, who were injured. On 21 June, over 300 Israeli settlers again attacked the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya, north-west of Ramallah. In the ensuing confrontations, one Palestinian was shot and killed by the ISF, and eight others were injured by live ammunition. The settler rampage continued that evening in Urif, south of Nablus, with hundreds of Israeli settlers again attacking Palestinians, their property and other structures, including a school and a mosque. Over the following days, settlers attacked villages situated between Nablus and Ramallah, including Jalud, Sinjil, Deir Dibwan, Umm Safa, Al-Mughayer and, again, Turmus Ayya.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“From the night of 20 June through 25 June, Israeli settlers perpetrated 28 violent attacks against Palestinian villages across the northern and central occupied West Bank. In total, one Palestinian was killed, and 54 others were injured — 37 by the ISF, 16 by settlers and 1 by an undetermined agent — while four settlers or other Israeli civilians and one ISF personnel were injured by Palestinians. The attacks followed a similar pattern, with large numbers of settlers, many armed — and in some cases escorted by the ISF — setting fire to dozens of houses, vehicles and fields owned by Palestinians, followed by confrontations that have, in many cases, led to casualties. In some instances, the ISF fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinians.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), military helicopters carried out air strikes — the first in the West Bank since the second intifada — to facilitate the extraction of military personnel and disabled vehicles. Over the course of the day, seven Palestinians were killed by the ISF, including two children, and 90 were injured. On 20 June, two Palestinians shot and killed four Israeli civilians, including two children, and injured four others at a gas station near Eli settlement, north of Ramallah. One of the perpetrators was shot and killed by an Israeli civilian at the scene, while the other was later killed by Israeli forces near Tubas. Hamas claimed the assailants as members and said the attack was a “natural response” to the ISF operation in Jenin.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“In that regard, I welcome today’s calls between President Isaac Herzog and President Mahmoud Abbas and between Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein Al-Sheikh on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, in which, according to Israeli statements released to the media, Israel officials denounced those settler attacks in the West Bank and recommitted to holding perpetrators accountable. On 19 June, an Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, in Area A of the occupied West Bank, led to heavy armed exchanges. An Israeli security force (ISF) vehicle was struck by a Palestinian improvised explosive device, injuring eight ISF personnel. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“Military operations — including air strikes in the West Bank — clashes, attacks and extremely high levels of settler-related violence have continued and intensified dramatically, alongside the use of more sophisticated weapons by the Palestinians, including improvised explosive devices and rockets launched towards Israel. Unless decisive steps are taken now to rein in the violence, there is a significant risk that events could deteriorate further. The mounting violence is taking place against the backdrop of deeply worrisome settlement-related developments that alter the already fragile dynamics on the ground, as well as a worrisome deterioration in relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“Mr. Wennesland: I am devoting my regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East to the twenty-sixth report on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016). The Secretary-General’s written report, which Council members have already received, covers the period between 14 March and 14 June. Let me start by saying that the two weeks we have had since 14 June have been terrible. Since the submission of the written report, we have seen an alarming spike in violence across northern and central occupied West Bank, leading to numerous Palestinian and Israeli casualties.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“The immediate priority is to support steps to bolster the Palestinian Authority and preserve the provision of critical services to the Palestinian people. Those steps should be implemented in a way that encourages the Palestinian parties to engage with each other, including on underlying political issues. That requires greater efforts by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, alongside increased support and attention from the international community. We must take action, not only to ensure Palestinians’ well-being and governance but also as an integral part of ending the occupation and restoring a political horizon toward a viable two-State solution, based on United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source
“Turning to the region, in the Golan, while the ceasefire between Israel and Syria has been generally maintained, the situation continues to be volatile owing to violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement by the parties. The situation along the Blue Line remained stable following the 6 April breach of the cessation of hostilities. In recent weeks, the United Nations, together with regional and international partners, mobilized once again to end hostilities between armed factions in Gaza and Israel. Such efforts are crucial to saving Palestinian and Israeli lives. Nevertheless, we must also keep at the forefront the issues that are fundamental to creating the conditions for a lasting peace.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source
“On 7 May, Israel’s High Court of Justice rejected a petition to compel Israeli authorities to carry out demolition orders against the Palestinian village of Khan Al-Ahmar. The justices agreed with the Government of Israel’s position that the Court should not intervene in setting a timeline for the demolition. The Court also agreed that the demolition would not be carried out at this time, citing Israel’s security and foreign relations as reasons. I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and a substantial obstacle to peace, and they must stop. I also call on Israeli authorities to end the displacement and eviction of Palestinians and to approve plans that will enable Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source
“I regret to say that we have observed more settlement plans being moved forward, with tenders published for some 310 housing units in Area C and demolitions continuing. On 18 May, the Israeli military issued an order, in line with the Knesset’s March amendment to the 2005 Disengagement Plan, to allow Israelis to re-enter the area of the evacuated settlement of Homesh, built on private Palestinian-owned land in the northern West Bank. During the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced owners to demolish 33 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and 17 in East Jerusalem, including a donor-funded school east of Bethlehem, displacing 89 Palestinians, including 45 children. The demolitions were carried out due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source
“I reiterate that all perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice. Security forces must exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. From 3 to 4 May, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee convened in Brussels, where the parties and donors discussed measures to support Palestinian institution-building and strengthen the Palestinian Authority and economy. The Chair’s summary called on both sides to implement previous agreements between them, commit to de-escalation and refrain from steps that undermine Palestinian institutions and the possibility of a two-State solution, while calling on the international community to increase assistance to the Palestinians, including through support to UNRWA.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source