Delivered By: His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Madam President,
At the outset, I would like to express our appreciation to His Excellency Ignazio Cassis for chairing this important session, especially considering the dangerous circumstances that the whole region is going through. We also thank Mr. Tor Wennesland for his valuable briefing.
I would also like to align my statement with those of the Arab and Islamic groups, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Madam President,
In light of the catastrophic circumstances in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, the UAE renews its call for a ceasefire, and demands the urgent, complete, and unhindered delivery of aid, along with the release of all hostages and detainees. These demands have become increasingly important, considering the dangerous developments taking place in the Gaza Strip. In recent weeks alone, Israeli attacks have killed hundreds of civilians, displaced more than 60,000 people once again, while more than ninety percent of the population is now at risk of severe food insecurity due to the sharp decline in humanitarian and commercial food imports since September.
We express our deepest concern about the statement of the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Joyce Msuya, indicating that the population in northern Gaza is at risk of death, and the reports of civilians there being besieged, killed, starved, and families separated.
My country condemns all these serious violations, including the attack on hospitals, the ongoing attacks on humanitarian and medical workers. In this regard, we deeply regret the postponement of the final phase of the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza, which puts the lives of many children at risk.
While we continue to call on the Security Council to take action to save civilians, we remind the parties of the need to commit to implementing the four resolutions adopted by this Council since the beginning of the war, and all previous relevant resolutions. We also urge all parties to comply with the provisions of international law, including international humanitarian law. The UAE stresses the need for Israel to respect its obligations as the occupying power, including the protection of civilians.
My country strongly condemns the Israeli Knesset’s passage of two laws that ban the work of UNRWA and prevent it from carrying out its basic work in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, in contravention of the provisions of the UN Charter and international norms. We stress the importance of the role played by the UNRWA in providing humanitarian assistance, which is essential and indispensable, especially in light of the ongoing war on Gaza.
We also condemn Israeli policies and practices that undermine the two-state solution and threaten the future of peace in the region, including the continued expansion of settlement building in the West Bank, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions. We affirm that mutual peace will only be achieved by establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on relevant UN resolutions.
Madam President,
The serious escalation in Lebanon raises deep concerns about the risks of expanding the circle of conflict into a regional war. The UAE condemns Israel’s continued violation of Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution 1701, the ongoing aggression against Lebanon, and the repeated attacks on UNIFIL forces, which undermine peacekeeping efforts.
The UAE affirms its full support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence. We will continue our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, which include providing an urgent relief aid package of $100 million to our brothers in Lebanon, and another package of $30 million to Lebanese refugees in Syria, in parallel with our ongoing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.
I would like to conclude my statement by calling on all parties in the region to exercise restraint, de-escalate, enhance dialogue, and respect international laws and state sovereignty, for these are the foundations for resolving current crises.
Thank you, Madam President.