At UN Security Council, UAE calls for immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza

“If we rely on the moral responsibility of the General Assembly in other environments, we must also respect it in this one,” he said, noting that “this Council, ignoring the expressed will of the majority of the world, [is] “maybe what breaks it.”

Ambassador Nusseibeh went on to note that while our eyes have been focused on Gaza, the occupied West Bank has not been spared from violence either.

“Israeli settlers are intensifying their attacks on Palestinian civilians and forcing their displacement. The State of Israel must prevent these attacks,” he said, adding that across the region there have been several credible warnings of a broader escalation.

“The drums of war are beating,” he said, urging Security Council members to take the warnings seriously.

“We do not contribute to Israel’s security by allowing it [the war] to continue. “We cannot reverse the heinous attacks of October 7 by tolerating this war in which civilians are paying the price,” he said, adding that “ignoring what could happen day after day will have devastating consequences, not only for Israelis and Palestinians, but also for the prospects of peace and prosperity.” stability in our region.”

“I was very moved by your recent words to your staff over the weekend, in which you said: “I am constantly hoping that this hell on earth will soon come to an end.” I want to express the UAE’s deepest condolences for the 64 UNRWA workers killed in this war. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for the life-saving work that the United Nations does every day around the world, and we have failed to protect them,” said Ambassador Nusseibeh.

“Last Friday, 121 countries – representing an overwhelming majority of the world – made an unequivocal call for an immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza. “They defended the humanitarian imperative, human rights, international law and, most importantly, the self-evident truth that Palestinian life is precious, equal and deserves the full protection of the law.”

“We have heard many say that the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza are not Hamas, that this is not a war against them. And while these are welcome words, it is time for actions to reflect them,” he added.

He went on to say: “More than 8,000 people who have been killed in Gaza, and as we heard today, 70 percent of which were women and children, surely not all of them were Hamas. Nearly 1,000 children are missing and could be trapped or dead under the rubble. They are not Hamas. Will we help them? “The number of Palestinian children killed in just three weeks of Israeli bombing of Gaza exceeds the total number of children killed in global conflicts in each of the last four years.”

Nusseibeh added that the shutdown of mobile and internet services over the weekend as part of the offensive meant injured civilians were seeking help in the dark.

“As we heard today, there have been 76 attacks on healthcare, including 20 hospitals and clinics damaged or destroyed. More than 650,000 people are taking refuge in UNRWA facilities. Let me be absolutely clear on this point: these sites are protected by international humanitarian law. Announcements that they are targets or warnings to evacuate do not, I repeat, alter their protection status,” he added.

“We need the dangerous and unrealistic evacuation orders to be revoked. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported warnings from Israel to immediately evacuate Al Quds hospital, which houses hundreds of patients, including newborn babies in incubators.”

“About 12,000 civilians are also seeking refuge there right now as we sit here in this chamber in New York talking to each other over and over again and debating the language of our resolution and humanitarian response.”

“An evacuation order under these conditions is cruel. It’s reckless. And so is our delay as a Security Council. The entire civilian population of Gaza is at risk from the escalation of hostilities, as are Israeli and international hostages taken by Hamas. Hamas has taken it wrong.”

“While our eyes have been on Gaza, the occupied West Bank has not been spared from violence either. As we work to respond to the General Assembly’s clear call for this body to fulfill its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, we must also always keep in mind the last words of the dead so that their memories may be a blessing to us. . “

He ended his statement by saying that what we and 121 countries are advocating for may be the most difficult path, but history warns us of the consequences of not taking it.