(As delivered)
Mr. President,
Members of the Safety Council,
The previous days witnessed a deeply worrying escalation within the Gaza Strip between Israeli navy forces and Palestinian armed teams, primarily the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Preliminary numbers, which have but to be confirmed, point out that from 5 August, the Israel Protection Forces launched 147 airstrikes towards targets in Gaza. Palestinian militants launched roughly 1,100 rockets and mortars into Israel, lots of which landed deep inside Israeli territory. Through the escalation,46 Palestinians have been killed and 360 injured, and tons of of residential housing items have been broken or destroyed, together with different civilian infrastructure. Seventy Israelis have been injured, with injury to residential and different civilian constructions.
Final evening, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Workplace introduced in separate statements {that a} ceasefire had been agreed and would come into impact at 11:30 pm on 7 August. The ceasefire stays in place as I converse.
I welcome this settlement and am grateful to Egypt for its essential position in securing the ceasefire, alongside the United Nations, and recognize the crucial assist offered by Qatar, the U.S., Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and others to de-escalate the scenario. Collectively, these efforts mixed helped stop the outbreak of a full-scale warfare and as of this morning allowed for the supply of much-needed humanitarian aid to the individuals of Gaza.
The UN stays in shut contact with all events to solidify the ceasefire and be certain that the numerous progress made in direction of easing restrictions, which we now have seen because the finish of the escalation final Could, will be safeguarded and in the end expanded.
Mr. President,
This most up-to-date escalation had its roots in deeper tensions, which have been rising for months throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
Tensions spiked throughout the West Financial institution in March and April of this yr, notably after 5 terrorist assaults – the deadliest in years – happened inside Israel. Following these assaults, Israeli authorities elevated navy operations contained in the occupied West Financial institution, with a big variety of these operations happening in Jenin, targeted on Palestinian militant teams working within the space.
On 1 August, Israeli safety forces arrested Bassem as-Saadi, a senior chief of Palestinian Islamic Jihad within the occupied West Financial institution, alongside together with his son-in-law. A 17-year-old Palestinian, whom PIJ claimed as an affiliate, was killed in the course of the operation.
PIJ instantly declared a “state of alert” and raised the extent of readiness of their militants. In response to the threats, Israel closed the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip on 2 August and applied measures proscribing civilian actions within the so-called “Gaza envelope.”
Tensions mounted amidst extremely inflammatory rhetoric by Palestinian militant teams.
The UN, Egypt and others started intensive mediation efforts to avert an escalation.
On 5 August, Israeli forces carried out a collection of airstrikes towards reported navy targets, together with towards a senior PIJ commander in Gaza, who was killed within the assault. Hours later, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and different militant factions launched greater than 100 indiscriminate rockets and different projectiles from inside civilian neighborhoods contained in the Gaza Strip in direction of civilian inhabitants facilities in Israel, together with Tel Aviv, central Israel and the Gaza envelope.
Over the next days, Israeli air and artillery strikes towards militant targets in Gaza and rocket launches by Palestinian militants into Israel continued intensively.
Mr. President,
The escalation took a extreme toll on the civilian inhabitants. I repeat, the figures we’re presenting are preliminary and verification is ongoing.
From 5 by way of 7 August, 46 Palestinians have been killed, together with 20 civilians – 15 kids and 4 girls. In keeping with Israeli official sources, the strikes killed 21 operatives, primarily affiliated with PIJ.
The Ministry of Well being in Gaza reported 360 Palestinians injured, together with not less than 151 kids and 58 girls.
Not less than ten homes have been fully destroyed and 48 severely broken and rendered uninhabitable.
In keeping with the Gaza authorities, over 600 housing items have been broken, displacing 84 households.
Roughly 1,100 rockets and mortars have been fired by Palestinian armed teams, primarily PIJ’s Al Quds Brigades. Some 20 per cent of those reportedly fell quick inside the Gaza Strip inflicting injury and in not less than three circumstances doubtlessly giant numbers of civilian casualties; UN monitoring of the incidents is ongoing. Of those who crossed the border, most have been intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome, however some induced materials injury. Israeli sources reported 70 accidents, together with 9 kids.
I condemn the indiscriminate launching of rockets from extremely populated residential neighborhoods in Gaza into civilian inhabitants facilities in Israel, which places in danger each Palestinian and Israeli civilians and violates worldwide humanitarian legislation.
Whereas absolutely recognizing Israel’s reliable safety issues, I reiterate that below worldwide legislation, all use of power should be proportionate and take all possible steps to keep away from civilian casualties.
Kids, particularly, mustn’t ever be the goal of violence or put in hurt’s approach.
Mr. President,
In opposition to the backdrop of the Gaza escalation, tensions remained excessive within the occupied West Financial institution. From the onset of the escalation, Palestinians held demonstrations in a number of places protesting the Israeli strikes on Gaza. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, issued an announcement condemning the Israeli strikes and reiterating his name for the worldwide group to guard Palestinians.
Mr. President,
Along with lack of life, accidents and destruction of property, the whole closure of Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings for six days had extreme humanitarian penalties for Palestinians within the Strip.
Gaza was getting ready to a humanitarian collapse final night when the ceasefire got here into impact.
As in all escalations there are dire humanitarian penalties and a complete breakdown of all regular provide traces and important companies.
Primary meals, medical provides, and gas have been unable to enter.
Consequently, on 6 August, Gaza’s solely energy plant shut down, inflicting rolling energy cuts of over 20 hours per day and severely impacting the supply of primary important companies and services, akin to hospitals and clinics, colleges, water desalination and distribution, in addition to wastewater remedy.
Gaza’s persistent shortages of important medicines and tools have been exacerbated by the escalation; and, the closure of Erez prevented the day by day crossing of some 50 sufferers requiring specialised remedy in Israel.
The closures additionally worsened the already precarious meals safety scenario within the Gaza Strip, decreasing shares of primary meals, notably wheat flour.
The ceasefire introduced final evening has allowed the resumption of important motion of products and other people out and in of Gaza, together with the supply of humanitarian help and gas for the Gaza Energy Plant.
I welcome Israeli authorities’ well timed reopening of the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings after the ceasefire went into impact. The opening of Kerem Shalom has allowed for 23 vans of gas to enter the Gaza Strip right this moment, enabling the Gaza Energy Plant to renew regular operations from 8pm this night native time.
My deputy, and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Lynn Hastings, entered Gaza this morning and is main the UN and humanitarian response on the bottom. She has spent the day assembly with UN and humanitarian businesses, households affected by the escalation and civil society teams, and assessing the injury and wishes. The fee might be steep.
Mr. President,
The escalation of latest days got here a bit of a couple of yr after the tip of Could 2021 escalation in Gaza. The devastating impression of that battle remains to be with us right this moment.
Within the months following the hostilities in Could 2021, gradual however vital progress was made in opening Gaza for the motion of individuals and items. These steps helped ease dwelling circumstances within the Strip. It’s crucial that we see a resumption of the measures that have been in place and proceed our efforts to broaden them additional. We’re dedicated to supporting the complete implementation of the ceasefire settlement, making certain the protection and safety of the civilian inhabitants, and following-up on the Palestinian prisoners file.
Mr. President,
Yesterday, the Secretary-Basic welcomed the ceasefire announcement and known as on all sides to abide by the settlement. I echo the Secretary-Basic’s name.
I wish to make the Council conscious of the next: the ceasefire is fragile. Any resumption of hostilities will solely have devastating penalties for Palestinians and Israelis, and make any political progress on key points elusive.
In the end, the underlying drivers of this and former escalations stay. These cycles of violence will solely stop once we obtain a political decision of the battle that brings an finish to the occupation and the belief of a two-State answer on the idea of the 1967 traces, according to UN resolutions, worldwide legislation and former agreements.
I reiterate my name to the Israeli and Palestinian management, together with the worldwide group, to strengthen diplomatic efforts to return to significant negotiations in direction of a viable two-State answer.
Thanks.
