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Delivered by: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Mr. President,

The UAE’s votes today were strictly on the merit of the draft resolutions submitted to this Council, and how they tangibly respond to the dire situation in Gaza.

We know what the most pressing humanitarian needs are. The UN and NGOs have been very clear: an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; the release of all hostages; safe, sustained, and at scale humanitarian access; fuel for hospitals and desalination plants; water; and adherence to international humanitarian law.

Yesterday, we heard dozens of statements imploring this Council to assign the same value to Palestinian life as it does to Israeli life. We cannot allow any equivocation on this point: there is no hierarchy of civilian lives.

These must be the priorities of any resolution adopted by this Council. Furthermore, we cannot be silent on the question of forced displacement and the evacuation order.

Crucially, the Gaza Strip is occupied territory. There should be no ambiguity about that.

We still hope that forging consensus is possible, but clearly it will require more work. The stakes are too high.

Civilians in Gaza cannot be abandoned. The Security Council must step up, as we have heard clearly from countless foreign ministers just yesterday, and that is the work the UAE will turn to now.

Thank you.