United Nations A /ES-10/PV.

57
General Assembly Official Records
Tenth Emergency Special session

57th plenary meeting

Wednesday, 4 December 2024, 3 p.m.
New York

President: Mr. Yang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Cameroon)

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

Resumption of the tenth emergency special session

The President: I declare the tenth emergency special session of the General
Assembly resumed.
Members will recall that, in paragraph 19 of its resolution ES-10/24, of
18 September 2024, the Assembly decided
“to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize
the President of the General Assembly at its most recent session to resume its
meeting upon request from Member States”.
In that regard, I should like to draw the attention of delegations to document A/ES-
10/1016, which contains a letter dated 21 November 2024 from the representatives
of Lebanon, Cameroon and Uganda, in their respective capacities as Chairs of the
Group of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Group and the
Coordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, requesting the
resumption of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly.
I intend to conduct the proceedings of this meeting in accordance with the
rules of procedure of the General Assembly and the past practices of its emergency
special sessions.

Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the

United Nations
Letter dated 13 September 2024 from the Secretary-General addressed to
the President of the General Assembly (A/ES-10/1010)
The President: Members will also recall that, at its 53rd plenary meeting of the
tenth emergency special session on 17 September 2024, the General Assembly took
note of the information contained in document A/ES-10/1010 concerning Member
States that are in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the
United Nations within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter of the United Nations.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches
delivered in other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only.
They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of
the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room AB-0928
(verbatimrecords@un.org). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document
System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org).

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In this connection, may I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to
follow the provisions of resolution 79/3 of 9 October 2024, by which Sao Tome and
Principe and Somalia are permitted to vote in the General Assembly until the end
of its seventy-ninth session, and to also allow those Member States to vote at the
tenth emergency special session?
It was so decided.

Agenda item 5 (continued)

Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory
The President: For over a year, the people of Gaza and Israel have endured
a relentless cycle of death, destruction and displacement. More than 43,000
Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 injured, most of them civilians,
women and children. Approximately 100 hostages remain in captivity. The horror
in Gaza must end.
The demands of the international community are clear. They are also evident in
draft resolution S/2024/835, considered by the Security Council on 20 November,
which received 14 votes in favour, but was ultimately blocked by a veto by a
permanent member (see S/PV.9790). Once again, the Security Council is paralysed,
unable to fulfil its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and
security. Once again, the General Assembly is called on to take the lead on the
situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved through endless war and
occupation. The conflict will end only when Israelis and Palestinians can live
side by side in their own sovereign and independent States, in peace, security and
dignity. It is time for the international community to take concrete and meaningful
action. We must strive for a just, comprehensive and lasting resolution of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict — one grounded in international law, the Charter of the United
Nations and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
International law, the Charter of the United Nations and United Nations
resolutions must be respected by all Member States. That is especially true for the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), which was established and mandated by the General Assembly. The
Agency is providing protection, shelter, food, water and medical care to millions
of suffering Palestinians; in particular, under the most difficult circumstances,
in Gaza. Despite the humanitarian need, the Agency’s future in the occupied
Palestinian territory is in peril.
I must therefore once again voice my deep alarm at the recent decision taken
by the Israeli Parliament to adopt two laws that, if implemented, would prevent
the Agency from undertaking its essential work in Gaza and in the occupied West
Bank, including East Jerusalem. A collapse of UNRWA’s operations in the occupied
Palestinian territory as a result of those two laws would exacerbate an already
catastrophic humanitarian situation. The cessation of the Agency’s activities in
the occupied Palestinian territory would mean that Palestinian refugees would no
longer receive desperately needed and life-saving assistance. That is unacceptable.
I urgently call on the Government of Israel to comply with its international and

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legal obligations and allow the Agency to continue its vital work — as mandated
by the General Assembly — in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including
East Jerusalem.
As representatives of the international community, it is our shared duty to
uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations: justice, respect for
international law and faith in the dignity and worth of every human being. Those
principles are the foundations for peace and our work to guarantee lasting security
for both the people of Palestine and Israel.
I now give the floor to the observer of the Observer State of Palestine.
Mr. Mansour (Palestine): As I stand here addressing the General Assembly,
ethnic cleansing is being carried out in broad daylight in Beit Lahiya and all of
northern Gaza. As I stand here, displaced families have been bombed yet again in
tents in Al-Mawasi, burned alive while the whole world is watching. Every hour of
every day, more Palestinian children, women and men fall victim to the depraved
Israeli onslaught — lives lost, families devastated and an entire people brutalized,
terrorized and traumatized, with no end in sight. After 424 days, the genocide is still
ongoing, with mass killing, mass displacement, mass detention, mass destruction
of all requirements of life and mass starvation. The gravest of crimes are being
perpetrated with a savagery unseen since the Second World War. It is a cruel war of
atrocities against an entire civilian population, breaching every rule and crossing
every red line.
How is that possible? How can the world allow it to go on? The perpetrators are
known. Their whereabouts are known. Their crimes are live-streamed. They openly
declare their intent to kill, maim, destroy, starve and ethnically cleanse. And yet
they continue to sleep comfortably in their beds, while their victims wander the
Earth, from one death to another. Nowhere is safe in what has become the most
dangerous place in the world. The perpetrators do so confidently, relying on decades
of impunity, believing that they will not be stopped and that there will never be a
cost for their crimes. That impunity must be brought to an end. The arrest warrants
issued by the International Criminal Court must be a turning point, the beginning
of the end for the impunity and a time to start finally holding criminal perpetrators
accountable and upholding the rule of law, protecting civilians and achieving justice
for victims and stopping ongoing crimes and deterring future crimes.
The full-fledged assault against the Palestinian people has been combined with
an all-out assault against all those trying to save human lives and uphold the truth
and international law — humanitarians, doctors, nurses, rescue teams, journalists
all targeted, with hundreds paying the ultimate price with their lives as they tried
to save others. And a primary target of Israeli attacks has been none other than
the United Nations, its Secretary-General, its agencies, bodies and peacekeeping
forces, its Charter and its resolutions. And the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — the backbone of the
humanitarian response in Gaza and the lifeline of Palestinian refugees — has been
under constant attack from day one. The aim of the occupying Power is clear: to be
rid of UNRWA as a way to further harm the refugees the Agency is mandated to
assist and protect and to negate their existence and rights.
The Israeli Government has gone rogue. It is inciting action against UNRWA
within the United Nations, in the streets of New York and across the world,

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displaying billboards on which it portrays UNRWA workers as combatants and

peddles a false narrative that is intended to be a green light to its occupation forces
to kill, maim, detain and torture UNRWA staff, attack UNRWA buildings and
shelters and pressure the international community to abandon UNRWA and the
Palestinian refugees to the doomed fate Israel has planned for them. The pictures
that they have been circulating, inciting action against UNRWA, should bear the tag
line “promoted and financed by the Israeli Government”. We know who the parties
guilty of circulating that incitement and false propaganda are. That aggression
against a United Nations agency and the licence taken by a State Member of the
United Nations to kill United Nations personnel cannot be tolerated and must have
consequences, including with regard to its ability to enjoy rights and privileges as
a Member of the United Nations. This violent and repugnant defamation campaign
against UNRWA and the United Nations as a whole must be stopped, and Israel
must be held accountable for its incitement and the crimes it committed against the
United Nations.
Israel has breached every single one of the provisional orders of the International
Court of Justice aimed at addressing the risk of genocide. Instead, it has persisted
and doubled down on the commission of atrocity crimes, war crimes and crimes
against humanity, which it perpetrates every second of the day. We call on all States
to use any and all leverage that they have to put an end to the massacres. This
genocide must be stopped by any means available. Israel wants the Assembly to be
outraged by the use of the word “genocide”. We call on the Assembly to be outraged
by the commission of acts of genocide against children and youth, against women
and men, against the elderly and the disabled; to stop those atrocities against the
Palestinian people; and to stop that assault on our collective humanity. There is
only one way to stop this genocide, to save lives, to free prisoners and hostages
and to preserve the hope of a different future. We all know that. That way is an
immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. It is what we have been calling
for every day for 14 months. It is what the General Assembly wisely called for more
than a year ago in the face of the onslaught, the humanitarian catastrophe and the
havoc that Israel was already inflicting on Gaza.
Today we once again call on all States to support a ceasefire, to demand a
ceasefire, to do what is necessary to ensure an immediate, unconditional and
permanent ceasefire — to silence the guns, to stop the bloodshed and to save human
lives. Everything is at stake in Gaza. Those who believe in freedom and shared
peace and security must act now. Gaza today is the bleeding heart of Palestine and
a painful open wound for the human family. Stop the bleeding and restore life in
Gaza so that it can once again be the beating heart of Palestine. Stop the bleeding
so that we can restore credibility to our international system, so we can preserve it
for future generations, so that our people can live, so that our region can thrive and
so that international peace and security can be preserved.
Yesterday, by an overwhelming majority, the General Assembly voted for an
end to Israel’s unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and for a
high-level international conference to implement the United Nations resolutions
pertaining to the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the two-
State solution (resolution 79/81). Only the realization by the Palestinian people of
their inalienable rights, including to self-determination and return, and only the
achievement of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State on the 1967 borders,

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with East Jerusalem as its capital, can truly transform our region, and peace in our
region can help transform the world.
Stop the genocide. End this illegal colonial occupation and apartheid regime
tormenting the Palestinian people. Support humanitarianism, support UNRWA and
prevent Israel’s attempt to eliminate the Agency and its indispensable life-saving
support to millions of Palestinians in Gaza and throughout the region. The General
Assembly must uphold its responsibilities under international law, including
humanitarian and human rights law, and uphold the orders indicating provisional
measures and the advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice. Preserve
a world in which the rule of law reigns. Support freedom, which is the key to peace.
What we do today will determine what we will all suffer or enjoy tomorrow.
The images of our children burning in tents, with no food in their bellies and
no hopes and no horizon for the future, having endured pain and loss for more
than a year, should haunt the conscience of the world and prompt action to end
this nightmare and to stop it from ever happening again to our people or any other
people — never again. We plead with all nations gathered here to extinguish the fire
devouring our children. Is that too much to ask? We appeal to them to support the
important resolutions before them and for action to implement those resolutions, to
create a reality different from the horrific scenario that Israel insists on imposing.
We appeal to the General Assembly to rise to its historic responsibility to act.
Mr. Danon (Israel): Every year, we go through the same routine and the same
tired resolutions villainizing Israel, laying bare the bias and prejudice of the United
Nations for all to see. But let me remind the General Assembly how this all started.
Seventy-seven years ago, the Assembly voted on the United Nations partition plan
(resolution 181 (II)), at a moment that offered Israelis and Palestinians alike the
chance to live side by side in peace. Israel said yes; the Arab world said no. They
rejected coexistence, choosing instead to declare war on the newborn Jewish State.
Since that day, the Assembly has maintained a neurotic obsession with what it
calls the question of Palestine. Over decades, the United Nations and many of its
Member States have encouraged and cultivated Palestinian rejectionism, violence,
incitement and a false narrative of victimhood. In 1947, the Palestinians said no. In
1967, they again said no. In 2000, they said no. In 2008, once again, they said no.
Time and again, opportunities for peace were met with rejection. Palestinian so-
called leaders have chosen conflict every time, and the Assembly rewarded them
for it. The Assembly has reinforced the belief that peace can be postponed and that
violence is acceptable. Where was the Assembly in 2005, when Israel left Gaza,
pulling out entirely and leaving the Palestinians to determine their own future.
Where was it in 2006, when Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip,
transforming it into the world’s largest terrorist base? Where was the Assembly on
7 October 2023, when Hamas mobilized and executed mass murder? And where
is it today, as 100 hostages remain in the most horrifying conditions imaginable?
7 October was not just a day of horror, it was a moment that exposed the true
face of Hamas and its allies, who are exclusively committed to extermination
and cruelty. More than 1,200 people murdered, thousands injured, women raped,
children executed, families burned alive in their homes — those atrocities should
have shocked the conscience of the world. Yet, to this day, the Assembly remains
silent. Over the past week, the Assembly adopted countless resolutions targeting
Israel, yet not a single resolution condemning Hamas, not a single word denouncing

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the 7 October 2023 massacre and nothing about the hostages still suffering in
unimaginable conditions. Shame on the Assembly. Instead of confronting those
crimes, the United Nations continues to enable Palestinian rejectionism.
That betrayal of peace has no end that we can foresee, unfortunately, but we
see very clearly where it begins. It begins in the classroom. If there is any doubt
about the systematic indoctrination of hatred, allow me to share an example of
a Palestinian fifth-grade textbook. It was published by the Palestinian Authority
(PA) and distributed to schools funded and supported by the United Nations and its
Member States. The Members of the United Nations, the righteous nations pointing
critical fingers at Israel, paid for this propaganda.
Let me quote: “Dalal Mughrabi, a name etched in glory, led with unmatched
bravery”. In her footsteps, this textbook teaches the children to aspire to “heroism
and martyrdom”. There is a picture. This is what the Palestinians are teaching
10-year-olds. Palestinian children are being told that the path to greatness lies in
murder, that death is preferable to life and that slaughtering innocent civilians is
a source of national pride. That is the Palestinian Authority, it is not Hamas, the
Assembly should not be mistaken. They are explicitly taught in this very textbook
that to die as a terrorist is “far better than a life of comfort and ease”.
Let me tell the Assembly who the mastermind was, who Dalal Mughrabi was.
She was the mastermind of the 1978 Coastal Road massacre, a terrorist attack that
left 38 innocent civilians dead, including 13 children. Her group hijacked a bus
and murdered its passengers. Yet in textbooks funded by the United Nations, and
therefore by many nations in this Hall, she is held up as a national hero, a role model,
a symbol for children to imitate. Dalal is among many so-called heroes listed in the
textbook for children. They include many murderers and many Hamas terrorists.
This is not education. It is indoctrination. It is a deliberate theft of Palestinian
children’s future, robbing them of hope and tying them to a legacy of hatred and
despair. Still, the United Nations and its Members continue their obsession with
Israel. For almost 80 years, they have perfected their obsession with blaming Israel
while they blindly fund hatred and violence. If the Assembly wants more examples,
it can simply look to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which uses this textbook in its schools.
UNRWA is a unique agency, created not to solve a problem but to preserve
one. Over the years, billions of dollars have been invested in UNRWA. Even before
7 October 2023, UNRWA had failed its mandate, both professionally and morally.
While intended to provide social and educational services, it has become one of
the largest promoters and participants in violence and hatred. I saw the tweet of
the spokesperson of UNRWA from approximately 10 minutes ago. He is worried
about his reputation. Well, that is too late. UNRWA’s failure extends into every
aspect of its operation. Its schools have been used as weapons stores, its facilities
converted into launching pads for rocket attacks, its employees moonlighting as
terrorists — we have videos of UNRWA employees invading Israel on 7 October
2023, kidnapping Israelis. And who signed the pay check? The Assembly did — the
United Nations.
Time and again we have presented evidence of these abuses, only to be met with
silence from the Assembly. That is not just negligence, it is complicity. The role of
an aid organization is to ease suffering and build hope, but UNRWA has become

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a shield for terror, prolonging the conflict it claims to address. UNRWA operates
hand in hand with Hamas and its diplomatic proxy, the Palestinian Authority.
Together they entrench hatred, glorify violence and promote conflict.
Consider the Palestinian Authority and the so-called moderate leaders who
listen to them. True leadership would make a distinction between itself and Hamas.
It would condemn the atrocities of 7 October 2023. I listened to Mr. Mansour. I
did not hear him mentioning Hamas. True leadership would lay the groundwork
for peace through education. Instead, the PA glorifies terrorists, names schools
and streets after murderers and provides a pay-to-slay policy that turns blood into
profit, paying terrorists and their families to murder. The more people kill, the
more money they get in their bank account.
Just let us imagine what could be achieved if the Assembly took a different
path. What if the billions spent on promoting hatred and violence were redirected
towards building schools that teach peace, hospitals that heal and infrastructure
that connects rather than divides.
Seventy-seven years ago, when the partition plan was proposed, Israel chose
peace. The other side chose war. That pattern of rejectionism continues to this day
because of the United Nations indulgence of incitement and its refusal to demand
accountability. Israel is a nation of peace. We pray three times a day for peace.
We have demonstrated our commitment and ability with regard to peace through
our treaties with six Arab nations. We used to fight with them. And the Assembly
saw the Abraham Accords also. We hope that many other nations — God willing,
be’ezrat hashem, inshallah — that more countries will join the Abraham Accords
very soon.
But if the Assembly truly wants peace, it begins with dismantling this
infrastructure of hate and the glorification of terror. The Assembly must stop
rewarding murder, dismantle UNRWA and hold the Palestinian leadership
accountable. Seventy-seven years is long enough. It is time for the United Nations
and its Members to wake up. Members must stop being collaborators in violence
and start being partners in peace. Israel will always remain committed to peace,
but the Assembly must make no mistake, we are unwavering in our determination
to stand firm, to protect our nation, to defeat those who seek to destroy us and to
ensure the security and future of our people. Most of all, we will leave no stone
unturned, no effort spared, until all of our hostages are freed and returned to their
families. That is our promise.
Mr. Nasir (Indonesia): In the morning of 20 November, before the veto at the
Security Council (see S/PV.9790), the death toll in Gaza was 43,253; this morning
it reached 44,532. That means that a single raised hand and a failure to stop the war
in Gaza cost 1,279 lives. Every second that the war continues, innocent civilians
perish — most of them women and children. As of today, the total number of
deaths in Gaza has surpassed the population of at least seven United Nations States
Members, while the total number of injured has surpassed the population of at least
17 Member States. If actions equivalent to the wiping out of the whole population
of a country are not genocide, please tell me what is.
Killing innocent civilians can never be justified. If a group is designated as
a terrorist organization for killing approximately 1,200 people in one day, how
should a country that has killed 44,532 people and counting be designated? Since

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the war in Gaza began, eight draft Security Council resolutions on Palestine have
been vetoed. While the Council has adopted four resolutions, none of them have
been implemented. If that does not reflect the Council’s impotence, tell me what
does. Furthermore, since the war on the Palestinians in Gaza started, the General
Assembly has met in emergency special session five times, the International
Court of Justice has delivered one advisory opinion (see A/78/968) and indicated
three provisional measures and the International Criminal Court has issued
arrest warrants.
Yet, despite the clear conscience of the vast majority of nations, a powerful
few choose to continue to ignore humanity, ignore the dignity of life and ignore
the international rule of law. Double standards have given Israel a license to kill.
Double standards are unravelling the multilateral system. Many are now saying
that we are entering the age of the collapse of the international rule of law and
the collapse of the international order — the very order designed by the powerful
countries that are no longer committed to upholding it. We, the majority of nations
with consciences, must therefore rise to protect humanity, protect the value of life
and end the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza.
It is no longer enough to call for an immediate, an unconditional and a permanent
ceasefire as a way to end the atrocities faced by Palestinians in Gaza. Countries
with consciences and capacities must act and take concrete action. Countries with
consciences and capacities must halt all transfers of arms to Israel. We must use all
the tools available to stop the war on the Palestinian people, including implementing
Security Council resolution 2735 (2024) and the International Court of Justice’s
provisional measures.
Countries with consciences and capacities must help to reverse the deteriorating
humanitarian conditions in Gaza. We must continue to support the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and
help to stop the attack on it and on other humanitarian workers in Gaza. Indonesia
pays tribute to the 333 humanitarian workers who were killed while serving in Gaza,
including the 249 UNRWA staff. For the countless Palestinians in Gaza, UNRWA
and all the other humanitarian workers are the fragile thread that separates life from
death. Countries with consciences and capacities must also stop Israel’s attempt to
change the narrative of the war in Gaza. Israel’s action to eliminate UNRWA is
an attempt to eliminate Palestinian refugees and to eliminate Palestinians, plain
and simple.
The two-State Solution is the only pathway to bringing peace to Israel and
Palestine. We must therefore safeguard the two-State Solution. All States with
consciences should therefore give unconditional recognition to the State of
Palestine. We must also work for the immediate convening of an international
peace conference, as mandated by resolution ES-10/24. That way, we will begin the
process of breathing life into the realization of the two-State solution.
Amid the systematic failure and paralysis of the Security Council, the General
Assembly must continue to give weight to its role as the voice of global conscience.
In that regard, we urge all Member States to support and to vote in favour of the
draft resolutions to be presented at this special session. It is time to rise above
politics and to be on the side of justice and humanity.

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Mr. Albanai (Kuwait) (spoke in Arabic): I deliver this statement on behalf of

the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) — the United Arab
Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of
Oman, the State of Qatar and my own country, the State of Kuwait.
Allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting at the
request of the Group of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and
the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries in accordance with resolution 377 (V),
entitled “Uniting for peace”, as the veto was used at the Security Council against
a draft resolution (S/2024/835) on the Palestinian question (see S/PV.9790), which
is the subject of this emergency special session. We underscore the responsibility
that the General Assembly bears under the Charter of the United Nations and
the relevant Assembly resolutions vis-à-vis the Palestinian question until a just,
comprehensive and lasting settlement is achieved.
Since the previous convening of the tenth emergency special session, the
escalation that has been undermining peace and security in the region has
persisted. The countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
condemned the escalation in the Lebanese and Palestinian territories, warning of
its grave repercussions and the ensuing threat it poses to international peace and
security. We underlined the need to maintain security in the region and to prevent
the war from spreading. We called upon the parties concerned to exercise self-
restraint, to stop the violence and to prioritize dialogue.
After weeks of escalation of the Israeli aggression against brotherly Lebanon,
which left thousands dead and wounded, an agreement was reached last week on
an immediate ceasefire. The countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab
States of the Gulf welcome the agreement, and we express our appreciation to the
United States of America and the French Republic for their efforts that allowed it
to be reached. We hope that the agreement will be implemented in order to stop the
bloodshed, so that peace and security can be achieved, respecting the sovereignty,
independence and integrity of Lebanon and the implementation of resolution 1701
(2006). We also hope that the agreement will be followed by an agreement that
stops the war in the Gaza Strip and the attacks in the West Bank and puts an end to
the human suffering.
The human suffering in the Gaza Strip has reached an unprecedented level,
which can be seen in the number of victims and displaced persons, the complete
destruction of buildings and basic infrastructure, and the levels of hunger and food
insecurity, especially in the north of the Gaza Strip.
All border crossings must be immediately and unconditionally opened, and
the delivery of all humanitarian aid, medical supplies and basic necessities to the
people of the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed, in line with the occupying Power’s
obligations under international law and international humanitarian law.
The GCC States affirm their support for the brotherly Palestinian people and
reiterate their condemnation of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank. We call for the implementation of resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720
(2023) and 2735 (2024), calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the
hostages, a prisoner exchange, the return of civilians to their homes, the safe and
effective distribution of humanitarian aid at scale and the withdrawal of Israeli
forces from the Strip. In that regard, we express our support for the efforts aimed at

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achieving those objectives and our appreciation for the tireless efforts undertaken
by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar and the United States to reach
an agreement.
The GCC States express their solidarity with the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and pay
tribute to the great sacrifices made by the Agency, which forms the backbone of
the humanitarian response to the current situation in the Gaza Strip. Millions of
Palestinian refugees depend on the basic services provided by the Agency, which
was established by the General Assembly as part of the collective responsibility to
address the refugee issue until a just settlement had been reached.
The declaration adopted at the forty-fifth session of the Supreme Council of
the Gulf Cooperation Council, held in Kuwait City on 1 December, last Sunday,
reaffirmed the firm position of the GCC States towards the Palestinian cause. It is
time to end the occupation; it is time to support the sovereignty of the Palestinian
people over all the Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967; it is time to
establish an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, in
accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of international
legitimacy; and it is time to achieve all the legitimate rights of the brotherly
Palestinian people. In that regard, we call for the implementation of the two most
recent resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth emergency special
session: resolution ES-10/23 on the eligibility of the State of Palestine for full
membership in the United Nations and resolution ES-10/24 on the advisory opinion
of the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences arising from the
Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem and from the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
We stress the importance of the efforts of the ministerial committee headed
by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formed at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary
Summit on Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People, and the efforts of the
Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to establish the
Palestinian State. In that context, the GCC countries welcome resolution 79/81,
adopted yesterday, which calls for the convening of a high-level international
conference to settle the Palestinian issue and implement the two-State solution.
The conference will be held next June, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
Republic of France will be co-facilitators.
In conclusion, the States members of the GCC support the draft resolution
before the General Assembly at this emergency special session and call on all other
Member States to vote in favour of it.
Mr. Tommo Monthe (Cameroon): I have the honour to deliver this statement
on behalf of the Group of member States belonging to the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) in my capacity as the Chair of the Group.
Allow me to begin by commending you, Mr. President, for the resumption of
the tenth emergency special session.
The previous editions have succeeded in addressing the dire humanitarian
situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. They have also led to the important
outcomes marked by the adoption of landmark resolutions since October 2023. Those
resolutions which, among other issues, call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and

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throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, support for the Palestinian bid for
full United Nations membership and the endorsement of the advisory opinion of
the International Court of Justice on the Legal consequences arising from Israel’s
policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem (see A/78/968), and from the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in
the occupied Palestinian territory, underscore the indispensable role of the General
Assembly in upholding international peace and security.
However, it is with deep regret that, despite the hopeful expectation following the
adoption of Security Council resolution 2728 (2024) on 25 March, which called for
a ceasefire in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory has
only intensified. The death toll, which has primarily affected women and children,
has tragically reached more than 44,000 people. Furthermore, more than 105,000
individuals have been injured, and 1.9 million people have been displaced as a
result of the widespread destruction of homes, hospitals and cultural heritage sites.
In addition, to the dire humanitarian consequences, we have continued to
witness the dramatic escalation of the war in Gaza and Palestine and its spillover to
other parts of the Middle East region. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have intensified
in the past month, with the unfortunate loss of thousands of lives and the destruction
of homes, while the violation of the sovereignty of other countries of the region has
continued unabated. Given that dangerous state of affairs, the continued inability of
the global community to bring about an immediate end to the humanitarian disaster
in the region has continued to shock human conscience all over the world.
In the light of those developments and the growing threat to global peace
and security caused by the protracted conflict in the Middle East, this session
provides yet another opportunity to build on the glimmers of hope resulting from
the recently adopted resolutions of the General Assembly. The Palestinian people,
who have long suffered the illegal occupation of their homeland and have endured
displacement and the destruction of their homes, schools and religious sites, need
this organ to take urgent action to stop the ongoing carnage in the region.
In the same vein, the international community has also expressed, through
the Assembly, its political will to halt the armed hostilities and aggression in the
Middle East. Our Group, the OIC, welcomes the arrangement for a cessation of
hostilities that came into effect on 27 November 2024, bringing an end to Israel’s
aggression against Lebanon. In that regard, our Group calls on Israel to withdraw
from all occupied Lebanese territories and calls for the full implementation of
resolution 1701 (2006) in a manner that ensures sustainable stability along the
border. It also calls for respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
within its internationally recognized borders.
In the face of the inability to bring about an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the
recent development, which threatens the continued presence of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the
occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, is of great concern. That
unfortunate development is capable of hampering the proper functioning of the
United Nations and its agencies in accordance with the mandate under the Charter
of the United Nations.
In that regard, we should recall the relevant United Nations resolutions and
the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 (see

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A/78/968), which reaffirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and

Israel’s duty to cease impeding that right. The advisory opinion also reiterates
Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. It is
important to note that Israel’s measures, including legislation that interferes with
United Nations operations in the region, in particular those of UNRWA, are in
violation of international law. Our Group stresses UNRWA’s vital role in providing
humanitarian aid to the Palestinian refugees and displaced persons, especially in
Gaza, at this time of humanitarian catastrophe, and the need for the United Nations
and its agencies to operate without obstruction. Hindering UNRWA’s ability to
provide essential services exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, leading to further
displacement and loss of life.
The task before this session is to proceed from the expression of the Assembly’s
political will, as evident in its past resolutions, to adopt concrete measures,
safeguard UNRWA’s mandate and accord the Agency the necessary support for
all its operations, including in the occupied Palestinian territory, while also taking
concrete measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. In that regard,
our Group calls for the immediate implementation of the relevant resolutions of the
United Nations on the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the unhindered delivery of
humanitarian supplies and the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian
people. Our Group also reaffirms the call made by the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation for Member States to exert diplomatic, political and legal pressure and
to take all the necessary steps to halt Israel’s crimes against humanity, war crimes
and ethnic cleansing in the occupied Palestinian territory and Gaza. Our Group
highlights the urgency of maintaining humanitarian assistance in the occupied
Palestinian territory and calls on Israel to respect its international obligations
and refrain from action that obstructs the operations of the United Nations and
international organizations, as well as the urgency of ensuring the safety and
security of United Nations personnel and facilities.
Furthermore, our Group reaffirms the resolution adopted by the extraordinary
Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on 11 November 2024, which commends the States
that recognize the State of Palestine and calls on other States to follow the same path.
The resolution also calls, inter alia, for the mobilization of international support to
suspend Israel’s participation in the General Assembly. That is plausible on the basis
of Israel’s violations of the Charter of the United Nations, its threat to international
peace and security and its failure to fulfil its membership in the United Nations
and based on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July
2024. The resolution also welcomes the Global Alliance for the Implementation
of the Two-State Solution, in coordination with Arab and Islamic States and in
cooperation with the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway. In that context,
our Group welcomes the convening of the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance
the Humanitarian Response in Gaza on 2 December. That conference also comes
within the framework of efforts aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian
people in the Gaza Strip and addressing their humanitarian needs.
Our Group reiterates its call on all peace-loving States to support and join
that process. Doing so is necessary in order to consolidate on the gains already
achieved in the previous iteration of the tenth emergency special session of the
General Assembly, towards the implementation of the historic advisory opinion
of the International Court of Justice on the illegality of Israel’s occupation of the
occupied Palestinian territory.

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In view of that, our Group commends the two draft resolutions to be considered
by this session, including the overwhelming support that they have garnered
from members of the Assembly. It is important to emphasize that the Assembly’s
anticipated positive action will support the global consensus on the need to protect
the rights and welfare of the Palestinian people and the pre-eminent role of the
United Nations in maintaining world peace, security and stability.
The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the European
Union, in its capacity as observer.
Mrs. Samson (European Union): I have the honour to speak on behalf of
the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries North
Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and
Herzegovina, as well as San Marino, align themselves with this statement.
We thank you, President, for convening this debate following the veto cast in
the Security Council on 20 November 2024 (see S/PV.9790). We also thank the
10 elected members of the Security Council for their efforts in trying to submit
a draft resolution that received the support of 14 Council members (S/2024/835).
For the EU, ending civilian suffering and preventing further loss of life in Gaza
is an absolute priority, and it is a collective responsibility of the international
community. In order for that to happen, we need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,
the unconditional release of all hostages, the urgent improvement of access and
sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout Gaza and an
enduring end to hostilities, in line with Security Council resolution 2735 (2024). All
those elements are present in the draft resolution submitted in the Security Council.
The EU once again unequivocally condemns Hamas’s brutal terrorist attacks
of 7 October 2023. The EU also deplores the unacceptable number of civilian
casualties, especially among women and children, in Gaza and the West Bank,
and the catastrophic levels of hunger and the imminent risk of famine caused by
the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza following Israel’s response to those attacks.
We also recall the need to fully implement the orders of the International Court
of Justice. We call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, put an end to all
hostilities immediately and fully abide by international law, including international
humanitarian law.
Allow me to reiterate the essential role of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which provides crucial
services to millions of people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem
and across the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. We condemn any
attempt to abrogate the 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA or to otherwise
attempt to obstruct its capacity to execute its mandate. It is essential that UNRWA
be able to continue carrying out its crucial work, in line with its mandate adopted
by the General Assembly in 1949 and renewed since. The EU, together with its
member States, is the largest contributor to UNRWA, and the EU is committed to
continuing its support of the Agency, both politically and financially. We closely
monitor and evaluate the implementation of the recommendations contained in the
report of the Independent Review Group. As long as there is no sustainable solution
to the conflict, the mandate of UNRWA will remain vital.
Finally, the EU reiterates its unwavering commitment to a just, comprehensive
and lasting peace based on the two-State solution, on the basis of the relevant

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Security Council resolutions; its commitment to implementing Security Council

resolution 2334 (2016); and its support for the Palestinian Authority to help address
its most pressing needs and promote its reform agenda. The European Union will
actively support and engage with international partners on concrete, irreversible
steps towards a two-State solution, including through the Global Alliance for the
Implementation of the Two-State Solution and the holding of an international
peace conference as soon as possible. The European Union stresses that a credible
pathway to Palestinian statehood is a crucial component of that political process.
Mr. Kwoba (Uganda): I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of
the 121 member States of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (NAM).
The General Assembly will recall the resumption of the tenth emergency
special session on 10 December 2023 (see A/ES-10/PV.45), and the subsequent
adoption by the General Assembly of resolution ES-10/22, entitled “Protection of
civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”. There has been no
reprieve to the grave situation in Gaza, and the conflict has intensified, worsening
the humanitarian situation not only in Gaza but also in the Palestinian territory.
NAM reaffirms its long-standing, common and principled position on the question
of Palestine and is deeply concerned about the implications of the conflict in Gaza
for the region.
Action must be taken immediately to de-escalate this volatile situation. That
must include a halt to all unilateral and unlawful measures by Israel, the occupying
Power, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Actions that
violate Security Council resolutions, including violations of the historic and legal
status quo of Jerusalem and its holy sites, are provocative, dangerous and destroy the
prospects for peace. NAM condemns in the strongest terms all forms of violence,
particularly Israel’s military attacks and Israel’s collective punishment against the
Palestinian people, as a grave breach of international law, including humanitarian
and human rights law, inter alia, the killing and injury of tens of thousands of
Palestinian civilians, many of whom are women, children, humanitarian workers
and journalists. NAM demands an immediate and complete cessation of all forms
of hostilities, violent repression and illegal Israeli policies and practices against
Palestinian people and other nations in the region.
The Non-Aligned Movement demands an immediate and permanent ceasefire
and expresses support for all ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement for
an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Accordingly, NAM calls for the release
of hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of Palestinian
civilians to their homes and neighbourhoods in all areas of Gaza and the safe and
effective distribution of sufficient humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza
Strip to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including those with medical needs.
NAM members also express concern at the reports of forced starvation and forced
displacement of the civilian population throughout Gaza.
The Non-Aligned Movement welcomes the arrangement for a cessation of
hostilities that came into effect on 27 November 2024, bringing an end to the Israeli
aggression against Lebanon. In that regard, NAM calls on Israel to withdraw from
all Lebanese occupied territories and calls for the full implementation of Security
Council resolution 1701 (2006) in a manner that ensures sustainable stability along
the border. It also calls for respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
within its internationally recognized borders.

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NAM calls on the Security Council to urgently recommend the admission of

Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations as a commitment to lasting peace
in the Middle East.
NAM member States once again reiterate their call for the continued provision
of the necessary humanitarian and socioeconomic assistance to the Palestinian
people, including the Palestinian refugees. The Movement reaffirms the continued
indispensability of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), along with other United Nations agencies and
international organizations, in alleviating their plight and urges the international
community to provide the Agency with sufficient and predictable funding. NAM
rejects any attempts by Israel to legislate against the continuity of UNRWA, as that
poses a threat to its significant contribution to regional stability in accordance with
its General Assembly mandate.
In conclusion, NAM seizes this opportunity to reiterate its call for collective
international efforts to uphold international law to bring an end to this historic and
grave injustice. NAM member States reaffirm their commitment to promoting a
just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the question of Palestine in
all its aspects, including the plight of the Palestine refugees, and reaffirm their
support for the Palestinian people in their struggle to achieve justice and fulfil
their inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations, including to self-
determination, freedom and independence in their sovereign and independent State
of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Mrs. Frazier (Malta): I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 elected
members of the Security Council (E10), namely, Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan,
Mozambique, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland and my
own country, Malta.
I begin by expressing our collective thanks to Guyana for coordinating our
efforts to draft a resolution seeking to end the hostilities in Gaza.
The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the lack of adequate
healthcare services and the state of food insecurity creating a risk of famine,
notably in North Gaza, underscores the need for the Security Council to shoulder
its responsibilities and take action.
The draft resolution presented by the E10 on 20 November (S/2024/835) was
the result of several weeks of intensive consultations and negotiations, and it
enjoyed the support of 14 Council members. If adopted, the Security Council would
have unequivocally demanded the cessation of hostilities through an immediate,
unconditional and permanent ceasefire, despite previous resolutions, including three
with calls for humanitarian pauses and ceasefires, not being fully implemented. It
would also have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
held by Hamas and other armed groups since the attacks of 7 October 2023. It
would further have deplored all acts of terrorism. We therefore deeply regret that
the text was vetoed (see S/PV.9790).
On this occasion, the E10 reiterates its call on all parties to comply with their
obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and
international human rights law. We once again stress the need to ensure the full,
rapid, safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into and throughout the Gaza
Strip, including for those civilians in besieged northern Gaza. It is imperative that

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the civilian population be provided with access to basic food and health services and
life-saving assistance. That is an obligation under international humanitarian law.
Moreover, we underscore the importance of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East as the backbone of the
humanitarian response in Gaza. The Agency is indispensable and irreplaceable and
must be allowed to fulfil its critical mandate.
Even though our text was not adopted, the E10 will maintain our positions
calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the immediate and unconditional
release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid. That is the only way
to stop the immense suffering and loss of life we observe in Gaza. It is the only
way that can create the conditions for a credible and irreversible path towards the
two-State solution, with the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian State, in line with
Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters. We cannot
afford to fail in this urgent and vital mission.
Mr. Moncada (Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): The Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela has the honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends in
Defence of the Charter of the United Nations.
We are participating today in this debate as a result of the negative vote cast
by the United States of America in the Security Council on 20 November 2024 (see
S/PV.9790), in connection with draft resolution S/2024/835, jointly submitted to
that organ by its non-permanent members, which sought to demand an immediate,
unconditional and permanent ceasefire respected by all parties to the ongoing
conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In that context, we condemn the veto cast by the Government of the United
States of America, which amounts to further complicity with Israel’s policies
and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, by
repeatedly preventing the Security Council from fulfilling its responsibilities,
thereby severely undermining peace, security and stability in the Middle East.
Therefore, we urge the United States Government to put an end to its complicity
in and indifference to the suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and
to yield to the overwhelming majority of the world, which defends the rule of law
at the international level and respect for the Charter of the United Nations and
supports the just cause of the Palestinian people.
We must insist that the Security Council shoulder its responsibilities, including
on the basis of the relevant provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United
Nations, and also ensure that its resolutions on the question of Palestine are fully
respected and implemented. The time has come for the Security Council to not only
adopt a draft resolution that requires an immediate and permanent ceasefire to which
all parties adhere so as to allow unimpeded, consistent and secure humanitarian
access at scale, but also to adopt, pursuant to the powers vested in it by the Charter
of the United Nations, urgent measures aimed at ending the supply or transfer of
arms, munitions and related materiel to Israel, the occupying Power, in all cases
where there are reasonable grounds to believe that they could be used in the occupied
Palestinian territory, which undoubtedly would prolong the illegal occupation and
further extend Israel’s aggression throughout the region, regard being had to the
relevant provisions of resolution ES-10/24, adopted on 18 September 2024.

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We urge the international community to take effective action to compel Israel,

the occupying Power, to comply with international law, including by consistently
condemning the double standards and selectivity that mark the application of the
Charter of the United Nations and international law and by warning that those
double standards gravely undermine the credibility of those States that insist on
shielding the illegal and criminal actions of Israel and that they dilute the legitimacy
of multilateral institutions.
We remain committed to redoubling our efforts aimed at ending the illegal
Israeli occupation, at securing the independence of the State of Palestine, with East
Jerusalem/Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, at fulfilling the inalienable rights of the
Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and to freedom, and
at achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the question of Palestine
in every respect, including that of the plight of the Palestinian refugees and the
realization of their right to return, in accordance with international law, the relevant
United Nations resolutions and the Charter of the United Nations and in line with
the two-State solution, so as to achieve the independence of a sovereign and viable
Palestinian State, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.
We express our determination to prevent a normalization of the violence that
Israel, the occupying Power, has unleashed in the occupied Palestinian territory, in
particular in the Gaza Strip, and in Lebanon alike. We cannot lose our ability to be
astounded, much less stop demanding that the competent bodies of the multilateral
system, specifically the Security Council of the United Nations, discharge their
mandates. We demand that the Government of the United States of America, as a
permanent member of the Security Council, desist from political calculations, as
that is what has held the Council hostage to a paralysis that, among other factors,
has emboldened Israel to pursue its policies of apartheid and extermination against
the Palestinian people.
Lastly, we express our support for the responsible efforts undertaken by
the General Assembly amid the ongoing tragedy being inflicted on the noble
Palestinian people.
Mr. Hachem (Lebanon) (spoke in Arabic): I have the honour to deliver this
statement on behalf of the Group of Arab States.
We meet again at the resumed tenth emergency special session of the General
Assembly as the catastrophic situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and
specifically in Gaza, continues to deteriorate and the Security Council remains
paralysed and incapable of discharging its responsibility to maintain international
peace and security. The most recent chapter in the Council’s failure just unfolded
with its inability to adopt a draft resolution (S/2024/835) calling for an immediate
cease fire on 20 November 2024 presented by the 10 elected members of the Security
Council, whom we again thank for their efforts and their courage (see S/PV.9790).
This resumed session comes on the heels of the Israeli Knesset’s passing of illegal
legislation banning the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territory
and revoking, in flagrant violation of international law, the diplomatic privileges
and immunities of its staff, which are afforded to United Nations agencies working
in the Palestinian territory. We also meet today at a time when the humanitarian
situation in the Strip has become catastrophic, with Palestinian civilians facing

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untold hardship and threats as winter approaches and Israel pursues its the policy
of genocide and collective punishment against defenceless civilians, coupled with
an asphyxiating blockade and the weaponization of starvation. Violence continues
to spiral in the occupied West Bank, including in occupied Jerusalem, and Israel
continues to bomb Syrian territory.
We saw a diplomatic window of opportunity in Lebanon when the agreement
on the cessation of hostilities came into force on 27 November 2024. The Arab
Group welcomes the practical steps currently being undertaken to implement
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), starting with the deployment of the
Lebanese Army in the south. The Group of Arab States underscores the need
for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected within its
internationally recognized borders and for Israel to honour its commitments,
including by withdrawing from all the occupied Lebanese territories. While we
welcome this significant development, which is in line with efforts to de-escalate
tensions and promote regional stability, and commend the efforts of the United
States and France, our hope is that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon will be a
prelude to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Group of Arab States reiterates the message of the Arab-Islamic Summit
held in Riyadh on 11 November 2024 and presided over by His Royal Highness
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, on the need for the
Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and adopt a binding draft resolution
under Chapter VII that commits Israel to a ceasefire in Gaza so as to allow the
safe, unhindered delivery of immediate and sufficient humanitarian aid throughout
Gaza, that opposes the displacement of Palestinian citizens within or outside of
Gaza, that opposes any attempt to partition the occupied Palestinian territories, in
particular the Gaza Strip, or to change the demographic or geographic character of
the Strip, and that preserves the legal and historical status quo of the holy sites in
occupied Jerusalem.
/The Group of Arab States reiterates its strong condemnation of the Knesset’s
passing of legislation against UNRWA. Through that measure, Israel aims to
liquidate the Palestinian question, and with it the Palestinian refugee cause, thereby
destroying prospects for stability in the region. We underscore that UNRWA’s
mandate will be accomplished only when a just and comprehensive solution is
reached through an end to the occupation and the achievement of an independent
State of Palestine on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem
as its capital. To that end, a just solution to the refugee issue must be found that
guarantees their right to return in accordance with resolutions of international
legitimacy, including resolution 194 (III) and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted
at the 2002 Arab Summit Conference in Beirut. We call on States to oppose that
unlawful and dangerous step, and we emphasize the need to continue providing
UNRWA with the necessary political and financial support to enable it to fulfil the
mandate entrusted to it under resolution 302 (VI) of 1949.
The Group of Arab States stresses the need to curb the unlawful Israeli
escalatory measures in the occupied West Bank, which compromise the two-State
solution and destroy any chance of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in
the region. We condemn the ongoing, systematic and unabated terrorist acts being
perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens and their property — acts

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that are supported and enabled by the Israeli occupation Government and protected
by its forces.
We also condemn Israeli hostile actions against the Muslim and Christian
holy sites in Jerusalem. We call on the international community to exert pressure
on Israel to cease those actions. We warn against the continued violations of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram al-Sharif, including attempts aimed at violating its
existing legal and historic status quo and its partition, temporally and spatially.
The Group of Arab States condemns Israel’s increasing acts of aggression
against the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic, including the targeting of
civilians, the destruction of civilian buildings and infrastructure and the violation
of Syrian sovereignty. Those constitute gross crimes under international law and
violations of the relevant United Nations resolutions. We emphasize the need for an
end to the Israeli occupation of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan.
The Group of Arab States stresses that the cornerstone of peace and stability
in the Middle East region is the implementation of resolutions of international
legitimacy, respect for the Charter of the United Nations and international law,
including international humanitarian law and international human rights law,
support for international justice and respect for, and implementation of, decisions
handed down by international courts.
We wish to further underline that the Palestinian question is a central question
and that a just, permanent and comprehensive peace cannot be achieved without
an independent State of Palestine that is based on 1967 borders, according to the
relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the
2002 Arab Summit Conference in Beirut, without an end to the Israeli occupation of
occupied Arab territories and without the settlement of the question of Palestinian
refugees on the basis of resolution 194 (III).
In conclusion, the Group of Arab States welcomes the Cairo Ministerial
Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza, convened on
2 December under the auspices of His Excellency Mr. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi,
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and His Excellency Mr. António Guterres,
Secretary-General of the United Nations. The conference formed part of efforts to
alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and to respond to
their humanitarian needs. Our Group welcomes the statement by the President of
the conference and renews its support for the efforts by the Arab Republic of Egypt
and the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the United States of America, towards
securing a permanent and immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of
all the prisoners and the hostages.
The Group also looks forward to the convening of an international conference
for the implementation of United Nations resolutions on the question of Palestine
and the two-State solution on the basis of 1967 borders, with a view to achieving
a just, permanent and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, under the auspices
of the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session in June of 2025. The Group
trusts that the two draft resolutions to be introduced during this resumed session
will garner the support of Member States.
Mrs. Narváez Ojeda (Chile) (spoke in Spanish): We are grateful for the convening
of the fifty-seventh plenary meeting of the tenth emergency special session.

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Chile aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Uganda
on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
We deeply regret the fresh veto in the Security Council, on Wednesday,
20 November, of a draft resolution (S/2024/835), which had been presented by the
10 elected members of the Security Council (E10) and had called for an immediate,
unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza (see S/PV.9790). The fact that the
text was not approved despite receiving 14 votes in favour from members shows
that it addressed a matter of great urgency and sensitivity for the United Nations.
On that subject, we commend the E10 on their capacity for dialogue, agreement,
political will and consensus. We appreciate the time that they devoted to negotiations
in attempting to achieve an outcome that the majority of States Members of the
United Nations yearn for — a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Chile has called for full implementation of, and swift compliance with, the
relevant resolutions that underpin the right of the Palestinian people to establish
a sovereign State, among them resolutions 181 (1947) and 242 (1967) and the
associated resolutions, such as Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), in which
it is reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the occupied
Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes
a violation of international law. We reaffirm our support for the State of Palestine’s
admission as a full Member State of the United Nations.
Chile advocates the two-State solution and the right of Israel and Palestine
to live in harmony, within secure and recognized international borders, with full
respect for the human rights of all their inhabitants and in accordance with United
Nations resolutions. That being so, we oppose Israel’s expansionist policy and its
confiscation of land in the occupied West Bank, because it stokes tensions, does not
strengthen either party and is a step in the wrong direction if a negotiated, just and
lasting two-State solution is to be found.
Once again, Chile extends its condolences to the families and loved ones of
the victims who have died in the conflict that is gripping the Gaza Strip and only
deteriorating by the day. We are witnessing untold suffering. It is staggering to learn
of the tragic events and reports that more than 44,000 people have perished in the
Israeli forces’ attacks, with 70 per cent of those afflicted by the catastrophe being
innocent women and children. Thousands of other corpses have yet to be counted
because they lie under the rubble or have been burned. Almost the entire population
of Gaza has been displaced multiple times. The healthcare situation is abysmal.
And 660,000 children are not attending school. Public and private infrastructure
has been, for the most part, destroyed.
We repeat once again that violence cannot be solved with more violence. We
call for recognizing the possibly irreparable damage that the war is doing to this
and future generations. We stress that the protection of human life must be our top
priority and the protection of civilians is a fundamental obligation. To that end, the
Charter of the United Nations, international law and international humanitarian
law must be respected. Undoubtedly, that respect has been violated by the terrorist
acts perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the indiscriminate response of
the State of Israel to the population living in the Gaza Strip, which has also affected
the West Bank.

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Chile has unequivocally condemned the actions of Hamas, as well as all terrorist
acts, acts of violence or hostilities against the civilian population. We therefore
demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held by
Hamas, ensuring their welfare and treatment in accordance with international law.
Chile calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire; a greater flow of
humanitarian assistance to Gaza; guarantees for full, immediate, safe, unimpeded
and sustained access for humanitarian assistance, that is, the removal of all obstacles
to that assistance; and facilitating the use of all available land routes to enter the
Gaza Strip in order to provide the population with their basic needs, such as food,
water, medicine and fuel, among others. We echo the request of the Secretary-
General himself and the respective heads of other United Nations agencies to
de-escalate tensions.
We encourage all parties involved, as well as the international community,
to continue working to bring the war to an end. That is possible only through
diplomacy and dialogue.
We recognize the efforts being made and the results achieved by friendly
countries with a view to reducing the fighting. We are alarmed by the repercussions
and ramifications that the conflict is having on the rest of the region. We highlight
the campaign in Gaza to vaccinate children against the polio virus, which
reached more than 500,000 children. We underscore the four resolutions adopted
by the Security Council aimed at achieving a ceasefire, mitigating the conflict
or facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance: resolutions 2712 (2023)
and 2720 (2023), adopted last year, and in particular 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024),
adopted this year. We recall that all resolutions of that organ are binding and must
be complied with and respected.
We share the concern expressed by the senior officials of this Organization
and so many other Member States about the laws passed by the Israeli Parliament
that will restrict and stop the coordination activities of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). We are
concerned about the devastating humanitarian consequences that may result from
their implementation. We therefore call for the laws passed by the legislature to not
go into force. We condemn that decision and stress that UNRWA has a mandate
granted by the General Assembly of this Organization and, therefore, that legislation
represents a serious precedent for the international system.
We reaffirm our country’s commitment to making voluntary contributions to
UNRWA and encourage other Member States to continue to make their contributions
so that the Agency can remain operational.
We reiterate our full support for the dedicated and courageous work being done
by the United Nations, its agencies and in particular UNRWA on the ground. It
is with deep regret that we acknowledge that nearly 250 staff members of that
humanitarian Agency have been killed in this war and more than two thirds of its
facilities have been damaged or destroyed, in addition to the Agency being the
target of a fierce disinformation campaign.
We note that Security Council resolution 2730 (2024), adopted on 24 May,
demands that parties to conflict to comply with their obligations under international
law and urges all States to immediately conduct full and impartial investigations
into violations perpetrated against humanitarian personnel and United Nations

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personnel. Naturally, we followed with interest the Security Council briefing

on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, held on Tuesday last week (see
S/PV.9795), and we were shocked when it was noted that this year we have reached
a record of 282 humanitarian workers killed, 178 of them in Gaza and 333 since
October 2023 alone.
Chile, together with Mexico, submitted to the International Criminal Court a
letter on the situation in Palestine to support the investigation of alleged war crimes
and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem
and Israel. For Chile, the clarification of the facts and responsibilities, as well
as accountability, are essential to put an end to impunity and prevent the future
commission of international crimes.
Similarly, Chile filed with the International Court of Justice its declaration of
intervention in the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
We stress that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the
Legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (see A/78/968), of 19 July, must be
complied with by all parties.
In conclusion, it is essential that all Member States honour agreements, build
trust and redouble the capacity for dialogue to ensure effective and decisive
responses to armed conflict. We consider it essential to promote the principle of the
indivisibility of international security, that is, all States have a shared responsibility
to contribute to the strengthening of an international order based on cooperation
and regulated by rules.
Mr. Mahmoud (Egypt) (spoke in Arabic): We are meeting today at the tenth
emergency session, having exhausted all other means of achieving a solution. The
war in Gaza has dragged on for more than a year with no end in sight. The resolutions
of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the orders of the International
Court of Justice have not been implemented. The most recent attempt to adopt a
Security Council draft resolution on 20 November were thwarted by a veto cast by
the United States (see S/PV.9790). Therefore, the General Assembly must assume
its responsibilities given the Security Council’s failure to maintain international
peace and security. The General Assembly should adopt two draft resolutions on
achieving a ceasefire and supporting the mandate of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), respectively.
In that context, we underscore the following points.
First, all rules of war established by the international community have been
violated before the eyes of the entire world. Yes, Israel has violated all such laws,
having destroyed the Gaza Strip and having killed more than 44,000 people, 70 per
cent of whom were women and children. Has there ever before been an army that
killed women and children at that rate in any war? Has there ever before been an
army that imposed starvation on besieged civilians in conflict, apart from the one
in the north of Gaza?
The Israeli army is unfortunately launching attacks with unimaginable
brutality while building military bases in the Gaza Strip. It is painful and extremely
regrettable that the Security Council, which is entrusted with stopping the war and
protecting civilians, has been paralysed and unable to fulfil its duties, because

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the United States has continued to protect Israel by casting one veto after another,
in the belief that doing so would ensure the safety of Israel. Meanwhile, the only
genuine way to ensure Israel’s safety is through the peaceful coexistence among
the countries of the Middle East, including Israel. There is no other way. There
is now no greater priority than stopping the unjust war, the collective punishment
and the attempts to forcibly displace people. We must stop all of that immediately
and in a binding manner for humanitarian reasons and in order to give a chance
to negotiations that would ensure the return of hostages to their homes and that
Palestinians in Gaza would be able to recover what is left of a decent life and enable
them to heal their wounds. Stopping this bloody war is a necessary step towards a
political track that should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian
State along the lines of 4 June 1967.
Secondly, the call to immediately stop the killing of civilians in Gaza is
based on the noble aim for which all international laws and conventions have been
elaborated — the protection of the right to life for all. It is impossible, legally and
morally, to make stopping the killing of civilians contingent upon any preconditions
or any political stance whatsoever. The immediate stopping of this senseless
massacre must inevitably be achieved, without preconditions. We warn everyone of
the consequences when people feel that their blood is worthless.
Thirdly, we call upon the Assembly to take a deterrent stance against Israeli
fabrications and Israeli attacks against the United Nations in order to avoid setting a
precedent that would inevitably lead to the collapse of the multilateral international
order. Israel has killed hundreds of United Nations staff. It has destroyed United
Nations facilities and enacted laws to stop the operations of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It
attacked the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. It even considered the
Secretary-General persona non grata. Confronting such behaviour is a collective
duty. It is a moral and political necessity. We must prevent Israel from persisting in
such behaviour through a united stance that starts with adopting the draft resolution
that will be presented on UNRWA and to build on the text in order to stop the
implementation of the legislation of the Israeli Knesset and to prevent any future
violations against the Organization that represents us all.
Fourthly, we stress before the Assembly that Palestinian rights to self-
determination, to freedom and to living in an independent Palestinian State are
natural rights based on the equality of all people. They are not a gift, or contingent
upon the consent of other countries. We therefore call upon the Assembly once
again to support adopting a draft resolution to grant the State of Palestine full and
deserved membership in the United Nations, a draft resolution that would give
effect to those rights, rather than establishing them. Egypt sincerely endeavours to
advance dialogue and propose solutions. That is why we welcome the announcement
of the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement in our brother country of Lebanon.
We call upon all parties to respect that announcement to achieve a sustainable
ceasefire. We call for Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territories, and we
call for the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006). We hope that those
understandings will pave the way to stopping the Israeli aggression against the
Gaza Strip and the violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
We stress that Egypt, as a pioneer for peace, will continue its efforts to
achieve a ceasefire and to alleviate the humanitarian situation and humanitarian

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suffering in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to provide all forms of support to our
Palestinian brethren until their current plight ends and their independent State is
established. Through the mediation track, alongside Qatar and the United States,
Egypt is continuing its efforts towards ending the war. Through the humanitarian
track, Egypt seeks to deliver immediate aid to the residents of Gaza.
Most recently, efforts were undertaken on 2 December at the Cairo Ministerial
Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza, held under the auspices
of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and the Secretary-
General, Mr. António Guterres, with the participation of more than 100 States
and United Nations agencies. Egypt will also continue to work tirelessly to ensure
Palestinian unity and to resume the political track once the war ends in order to
achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their own independent
State, with its East Jerusalem as its capital.
We call upon all those who have a sense of humanity and responsibility to
save besieged innocent civilians in Gaza and listen to their cries and calls without
any conditions. We ask members not to stand idly by as spectators. We call upon
the Council to avoid the trap of promoting any false arguments that justify their
systematic and deliberate killing simply for vengeance. We call upon them to
immediately implement a ceasefire and to save the Palestinian people.
All wars must end. And this war has long gone way beyond the finish line.
There is no more patience to endure a possible continuation of this war. That is
Egypt’s message to everyone today.
Ms. Al-Thani (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to thank
you, Mr. President, for resuming this emergency special session.
We align ourselves with the statements delivered on behalf of the States of the
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Group of Arab States, the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
Since the most recent meeting of the tenth emergency special session focusing
on the situation in Gaza (see A/ES-10/PV.56), the humanitarian crisis has only
gotten worse, reaching unprecedented levels, owing to the Israeli aggression, which
have been ongoing for over a year and extended to the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem. The Israeli attacks against Palestinians have escalated and resulted
in the deaths of more than 44,000 people. Moreover, the occupied Palestinian
territory witnessed increased violations, including encroachment on the holy sites
and settlement expansion, in clear violation of the General Assembly and Security
Council resolutions, as well as disregard of the provisional measures and last July’s
advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice.
There is an urgent need to provide humanitarian aid at scale throughout Gaza
so as to effectively respond to this humanitarian catastrophe. On that note, the
State of Qatar welcomes the outcomes and the recommendations of the Cairo
Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza, held on
2 December, with a view to pooling efforts and ensuring sufficient humanitarian
assistance is delivered continuously to Gaza in order to alleviate the suffering of
Palestinian people.
From the outset of Israel’s attack on Gaza, the State of Qatar has undertaken
sincere mediation efforts, in partnership with the United States and Egypt, with the

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view to putting an end to the ongoing violence and humanitarian suffering of all
parties. Those diplomatic efforts resulted in humanitarian pauses and a ceasefire in
November last year. Throughout that period, there was an exchange of hostages and
prisoners and an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid delivered. Subsequently,
those good offices have continued, despite stumbling blocks.
During the most recent attempt to conclude an agreement, the State of
Qatar last month informed the parties that it would suspend mediation efforts if
no agreement between Israel and Hamas were reached during that round. Qatar
nonetheless remains open and supports all efforts to achieve peace in the region.
We continue to engage with all parties, in case there are changes to their position,
demonstrating readiness to conclude an agreement. As for the escalation in the
brotherly country of Lebanon, we welcome the ceasefire agreement and the efforts
of the United States and France, which helped to conclude that agreement. We
hope that a similar agreement will be achieved so as to put an end to the war that
continues to wage in Gaza. We hope that such an agreement will be upheld by
all parties, that military hostilities will end immediately and that resolution 1701
(2006) will be fully implemented.
The State of Qatar reiterates the need for the General Assembly to assume its
responsibilities with regard to the Palestinian cause. Therefore, we call for support
for the two draft resolutions submitted to the General Assembly, which reflect our
shared humanitarian values and commitments, and are in line with the Charter of
the United Nations and the requirements for the maintenance of international peace
and security. The first draft resolution calls for an immediate, unconditional and
permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties. The second draft resolution
calls for support for the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In that regard, we stress again
the importance of UNRWA’s mandate, in accordance with resolution 302 (IV).
We also reaffirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return, which is guaranteed
by resolution 194 (III) and Security Council resolution 237 (1967). We also stress
the need for the implementation of all Security Council resolutions, in particular
resolution 2735 (2024) which calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Furthermore, we call
for the implementation of the two resolutions recently adopted by the Assembly in
its tenth emergency special session on the eligibility of Palestine for membership
to the United Nations (resolution ES-10/23) and on the advisory opinion of the
International Court of Justice on the Legal consequences arising from Israel’s
policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem (see A/78/968) (resolution ES-10/24).
Mr. Massari (Italy), Vice-President, took the Chair.
In conclusion, the State of Qatar reiterates its firm and historic position in
support of the steadfastness of the brotherly Palestinian people and their just cause,
in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace
Initiative, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian State
along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Mr. Ladeb (Tunisia) (spoke in Arabic): We are meeting today at the resumed
tenth emergency special session in the light of the continued unprecedented
humanitarian catastrophe that the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip
are facing as a result of the genocidal collective war launched against them by the

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occupation authorities for more than a year. It is the latest episode in a long series
of massacres and violations that have been occurring for the past 76 years.
The deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied
Palestinian territory is unprecedented. The occupation’s shameful crimes are
intensifying, despite all the resolutions and decisions adopted by the Security
Council, the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice. Against
that background, the international community is today facing a defining moment
to overcome the silence and helplessness and to reconsider its approach to this
situation in order to live up to its moral, legal and historical responsibility to save
lives and put an end to the crimes of murder, abuse, starvation and displacement,
which are condemned under all humanitarian and legal instruments.
The number of martyrs and wounded, which has exceeded tens of thousands,
cannot by any measure become mere statistics. The forced displacement of the
entire population of the Gaza Strip, the targeting of hospitals, schools, places of
worship and tents for the displaced, the killing of aid workers, medical staff and
journalists, the denial of life-saving humanitarian aid and the use of hunger as a
weapon of war cannot become mere news items or ordinary events just because of
their recurrence. It is also unacceptable that the Security Council remains unable to
fulfil its supposed role owing to political calculations and double standards, and it
is unacceptable that United Nations resolutions remain unimplemented.
As we have noted on previous occasions, all the aforementioned has emboldened
the occupation authorities to continue their aggressive practices, settlement
schemes, crimes and disregard for United Nations resolutions and international
humanitarian law, with impunity, in an attempt to impose a fait accompli policy and
perpetuate the idea that they are above the law. We therefore renew our call to the
international community and the Security Council to take effective and responsible
action to impose an immediate ceasefire and compel the occupation authorities to
stop the genocidal war and all forms of abuse and violations against the Palestinian
people. We call for the implementation of United Nations resolutions and respect
for the international will. And we call for the occupation authorities to be held
accountable for all their crimes. We also call for providing international protection
for the Palestinian people, lifting the blockade imposed on them and allowing the
unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance without any delay.
In that context, we renew our condemnation of the continued endeavours and
actions by the occupation forces to obstruct the operations of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, disrupt its
functions and to put an end to its vital role in providing humanitarian assistance to
millions of Palestinians with the aim of exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian
people and to undermine their right to life.
In conclusion, Tunisia reaffirms its firm and principled support to the
Palestinian people in their struggle to recover their legitimate and inalienable
rights — imprescriptible rights that will not be erased through aggression — foremost
of which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of their
independent and sovereign State on all the territory of Palestine, with Al-Quds
Al-Sharif as its capital.
Mr. Akram (Pakistan): We thank the President for convening this resumed
tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly in response to the requests

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of the Group of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)Group

and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
My delegation aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the OIC and
the Non-Aligned Movement.
For over 400 days, the world has witnessed the indiscriminate slaughter of
the Palestinian population of Gaza. Forty-four thousand people, mostly women
and children, have been killed; more than have been 100,000 injured. The
Secretary-General has said, “What we are seeing may well amount to the gravest
international crimes.”
The heads of 15 United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have said:
“The situation unfolding in North Gaza is apocalyptic.
...
The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of
dying from disease, famine and violence.” (A/ES-10/1015, annex, p. 5)
Pakistan welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon, although Israel continues to
violate it at will. But the slaughter continues in Gaza, as do strikes in Syria, and the
danger of a wider war continues to loom large over the entire Middle East.
While we acknowledge the mediatory efforts made by Egypt, Qatar and the
United States, we must express our deep dismay that, on 20 November, the draft
resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, sponsored by the
elected members of the Council and supported by 14 of its members, could not be
adopted owing to the veto exercised by one permanent member (see S/PV.9790).
There is no rationale that can justify blocking a decision designed to stop the
slaughter of helpless civilian populations. The General Assembly must now exercise
its responsibility, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to demand
an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the implementation of the
several resolutions adopted on this conflict by the Security Council and the General
Assembly, as well as the adjudication by the International Court of Justice. We also
support the establishment of an international accountability mechanism to take
cognizance of and punish the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed
and to determine the reparations for those crimes.
Similarly, we must uphold the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and condemn and reject
Israel’s efforts to halt its operations. UNRWA is the only organization capable of
ensuring humanitarian assistance and relief to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza,
the West Bank and elsewhere. Pakistan therefore welcomes the two draft resolutions
to be submitted by the State of Palestine for adoption in this emergency session.
The Assembly and the world community must also look to the future, to the
grave consequences of this Israeli war and the measures required to redress those
consequences. Israel’s war has demonstrated that aggression and genocide can be
committed against some peoples with impunity, indeed, with the complicity of
those who vocally uphold the rule of law and human rights in almost every other
geographical and political context. Such impunity has contributed to the ongoing
destruction of the foundations of the world order, which we created almost 80
years ago. Are the memories of those who fought fascism and racism, of those who

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suffered the Holocaust, so short that they can justify and perpetrate this twenty-first
century slaughter against the helpless Palestinian people? The genocidal actions of
the Israeli war machine should be unacceptable to any individual, society or State
that values the principles of the United Nations Charter, that values peace, that
values human life and that cannot countenance the massacre of innocent children
and women.
We must ask ourselves — what is the reality that we are creating and leaving
behind in the Middle East in the wake of this war? We have today an Israeli
leadership that has proclaimed its dark vision of continued slaughter in Gaza and
its continued occupation; a vision of the expulsion and extinction of the population
of Gaza through violence and starvation, of the annexation of the West Bank
by aggressive Israeli soldiers, helped by settlers, unleashed against an unarmed
Palestinian population; a vision of the outright rejection of the two-State solution
and the extinction of the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people.
This dark vision will have repercussions, especially in the Arab and Muslim
world. The people of the Islamic world will not forget or forgive Israel’s crimes.
Popular resistance to Israeli occupation will not end; it will intensify. A peaceful
resolution of the Middle East conflict will become more difficult.
It is therefore imperative for the international community and the General
Assembly to consider the steps needed to prevent the realization of the dark vision
that Israeli extremists have set forth. They must be made to realize that genocide does
not enjoy impunity, that aggression and occupation have consequences. The leaders
of the Arab and Islamic countries have advocated a series of consequences — from
stopping arms supplies, terminating trade and reviewing Israel’s United Nations
membership. All of those options deserve serious consideration by the United
Nations and the international community.
At the same time, we need to take decisive steps to realize the two-State solution,
which offers the only and globally accepted path towards durable peace and security
in the Middle East. As part of the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit group,
Pakistan welcomes the launch of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of
the Two-State Solution. Through that process and here at the United Nations,
we must create political realities that would ensure the inevitability of the two-
State outcome. To that end, we would urge — first, the widest possible official
recognition of the State of Palestine, which must be made universal; secondly, the
earliest possible admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations;
and thirdly, the convening of an international conference to initiate decisive steps
for the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian State
within the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Mrs. Jaraud-Darnault (France) (spoke in French): France thanks the elected
members of the Security Council for preparing this draft resolution and regrets that
it could not be adopted on 20 November. The catastrophic humanitarian situation
in the Gaza Strip is a daily reminder of the need for an immediate and permanent
ceasefire there. The delivery of humanitarian aid must be commensurate with the
immense needs of Palestinian civilians, particularly in the north of the enclave,
which is threatened by famine. All hostages held in the Gaza Strip must be released
immediately and unconditionally. The draft resolution strongly demanded the
immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. France, which still holds two
hostages in Gaza, deplores the fact that the Security Council was unable to make

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that demand. France has never ceased and will never cease to condemn the barbaric
terrorist attacks committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October
2023. The General Assembly must do likewise, without ambiguity. It is urgent
to work towards the concrete implementation of the two-State solution. We need
security guarantees for the Israelis. We must also work towards the creation of
an independent, viable and contiguous State for the Palestinians. The Palestinian
Authority has a central role to play in this process, both in the West Bank and Gaza,
which must, of course, be part of the future Palestinian State. France will continue
to work towards those objectives, in coordination with its partners, including within
the Security Council.
Ms. Schwalger (New Zealand): We are disappointed once again that a veto
has blocked a draft resolution that had the near unanimous support of the Security
Council. We acknowledge efforts to reach consensus in the Council, however, we
simply must do better.
The situation in Gaza remains untenable. An immediate ceasefire is urgently
needed, including to facilitate a surge of essential humanitarian assistance
throughout the Gaza Strip. Ultimately, no military solution will bring about a just
and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. A negotiated political solution is
needed to achieve lasting peace and security for Israel and Palestine. Diplomacy
can work where there is political will.
New Zealand welcomes the recent announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon
and acknowledges the efforts of all the parties involved in the negotiations. This
breakthrough in Lebanon demonstrates the value of diplomacy and negotiation. In
Gaza, however, the conflict continues, and Palestinian civilians continue to pay the
price. They deserve an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded access to humanitarian aid
and an end to the spiralling tensions.
Any use of the veto is highly disappointing. We underline that every time this
outdated and undemocratic mechanism is invoked, it undermines the Council’s
ability to fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security. New
Zealand has been a vocal and consistent opponent of any use of the veto since
1945. We have actively supported the veto initiative (resolution 76/262) from its
inception, and we remain a proud proponent of the resolution. The Council is not
living up to its important ongoing responsibilities under the Charter of the United
Nations. Its credibility and that of the United Nations as a whole is at stake. We
invite the permanent members to reflect on that responsibility.
Finally, if resolution 76/262 is reactivated in future, it will once again be
incumbent on the members of the General Assembly to continue to exercise our
collective political responsibility under the United Nations Charter to address
matters of international peace and security.
Mr. Van Schalkwyk (South Africa): I thank the President for reconvening the
tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, in relation to Palestine.
This could not come at a more crucial time. Despite efforts to stop the carnage,
Gaza has been bombed into a wasteland, and its citizens are facing imminent
famine. Those circumstances alone should prompt even those with the most hard-
line positions into action towards an immediate humanitarian response.
We gather here to once again lament the failure of the Security Council to
uphold its responsibility and take demonstrable action to stop the bloodshed in

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Gaza and bring to an end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Posterity will
judge humankind harshly for allowing such suffering when we had the opportunity
to take positive steps and bring to an end the genocide currently under way in Gaza.
That is particularly so for us, in this Organization, which was created to protect
people and ensure peace.
South Africa welcomes the decision of the International Criminal Court to
issue warrants of arrest for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and
his former Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, as well as Mohamed Deif of Hamas.
We call on all members of the international community to execute the warrants
in accordance with the prescripts of the Rome Statute, as part of our collective
commitment to international law. We hope that this decision will put pressure,
particularly on Israel, the occupying Power, to put an end to the continuing
destruction of Gaza.
The trigger for bringing this discussion to the wider United Nations membership
was the negative vote cast by one member of the Security Council. It is due to cases
such as this that South Africa supports the suspension of the use of the veto in cases
of mass atrocities. The call, in the draft resolution crafted by the 10 elected members
of the Security Council was simple — an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and
a large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid to avert further disaster. Added to this
was a demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and
the treatment of all prisoners and hostages within the prescripts of international
humanitarian law. The release of hostages and exchange of Palestinian prisoners
has the potential to lay the grounds for a negotiated solution that results in peace
and to create conditions conducive to the creation of two States, living side by side
in peace and security.
The recent law passed by the Israeli Knesset to end Israeli cooperation with the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) is another measure that will only inflict greater harm on the Palestinian
people and take us further away from peace. We call on Israel to reconsider that
decision and to continue cooperation with UNRWA as a step towards the attainment
of peace in the region. Ending support for UNRWA would result in the death and
displacement of untold numbers of Palestinians, considering the already large
number of displaced people and the devastation in Gaza.
A critical step for the General Assembly would be the recognition of Palestine
as a State. We have recently heard all members of the Security Council profess their
support for the two-State solution. We call on all States to convert those sentiments
into reality by accepting Palestine as the 194th Member of the United Nations.
The status quo and refusal to admit Palestine as a full Member will serve only
to perpetuate the conflict and suffering of its people. When Palestine is afforded
equal status in the international family of nations, peaceful coexistence would
become possible.
We call on all parties to fulfil their obligations under international law,
including the fulfilment of the advisory opinion of the International Court of
Justice and recent Security Council resolutions on Gaza. That includes, inter alia,
an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine, the facilitation of the return of displaced
Palestinians and the granting of the right of self-determination to the Palestinians.

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In conclusion, we must refuse to allow the Palestinian people to be decimated

through bombs, starvation and displacement while the world is unable and seemingly
unwilling to act. Their right to self-determination cannot be erased, as it is etched
in international law. We call on all peoples and countries of the world to support
the call for a ceasefire and for measures that lead towards a two-State solution that
result in an enduring peace in the region.
Mr. Hmoud (Jordan) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to thank the
President for resuming the tenth emergency special session.
My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Group
of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Movement of
Non-Aligned Countries.
We are meeting today for the fifth time in the context of this emergency special
session since the beginning of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza more than a
year ago. That is because of the repeated failure by the Security Council to adopt
a draft resolution to put an end to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, which has
resulted in more than 44,000 Palestinians lives lost and more than 90 per cent of its
population being displaced and the destruction of approximately 60 per cent of the
buildings and infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, hospitals, United Nations
facilities, mosques and churches. It has also torn apart the social fabric in Gaza. If
that is not genocide and ethnic cleansing, what is?
We reiterate our call on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and
adopt a draft resolution that would put an end to the Israeli attack on Gaza under
Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations; put an end to the indiscriminate
killing of innocent civilians, including women, children and the elderly; and to
stop the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. We need a draft resolution that
would compel the occupying Power to open all checkpoints to ensure immediate,
adequate and sustainable delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian
population throughout the Gaza Strip.
As we meet today, the threat of famine looms across Gaza, especially in
the north of the Gaza Strip. The most recent Integrated Food Security Phase
Classification (IPC) report indicated that some 133,000 people in Gaza are facing
catastrophic food insecurity — that is IPC phase 5 — and that the number of people
classified in phase 5 will increase threefold in the coming months if no action is
taken to prevent the situation from getting worse. It is therefore imperative that the
international community take immediate action to ensure the immediate delivery
of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and prevent Israeli measures aimed
at starving the Palestinian people by using food and water as a weapon, which is a
blatant war crime under international humanitarian law.
Jordan will continue to carry out its humanitarian duty, whether through
the services provided by Jordanian field hospitals in the occupied Palestinian
territory or by sending urgent humanitarian assistance. Jordan carried out its
first humanitarian airlift to Gaza on 20 November, in which it dispatched eight
helicopters carrying more than 7 tons of food and medical supplies, in accordance
with the Gaza Humanitarian Gateway initiative announced by His Majesty King
Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein in the speech he delivered during the general debate of
the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session.

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Jordan has also sent more than 50,000 tons of aid, carried by 115 humanitarian
convoys, via land crossing points, in addition to carrying out nearly 390 airdrops
of humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the war in various areas of
Gaza, in cooperation and coordination with international partners and relevant
organizations. We call on the international community to implement the outcomes
of the humanitarian response conference, hosted by Jordan and organized jointly
with Egypt and the United Nations.
With regard to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the extremist Israeli Government continues
its systematic targeting and political assassination of the Agency. Most recently,
the Knesset adopted an unlawful law calling for the prohibition of the Agency’s
activities and the lifting of the Agency’s immunity and that of its staff in the
occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, in violation of Israel’s
obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the 1946 Convention on
the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. As we speak, the Israeli
Government is airing paid advertisements here in New York and in many countries
accusing UNRWA of terrorism, which constitutes criminal incitement, not only
against UNRWA and its staff, but against the entire United Nations family.
The General Assembly is duty bound to take appropriate measures to protect
the Palestinian people from the ongoing Israeli aggression and to guide States,
organizations and other members of the international community towards
mechanisms for individual and collective action to achieve that protection — practical
measures that must lead to tangible results on the ground. The General Assembly
also has a duty to support United Nations agencies, staff and personnel and to
prevent Israel’s attempts to target them or weaken and undermine their mandates.
What is happening with UNRWA now is a dangerous precedent that will encourage
future violations against United Nations organizations, operations and personnel in
various conflict zones.
ِ Accordingly, we call on international partners to continue to provide financial,
political and legal support to UNRWA to ensure the continuity of its work and
support it in providing vital services to more than 6 million Palestinian refugees
in all areas of its operations, in accordance with the mandate granted unanimously
to the Agency by the General Assembly (resolution 302 (IV)) decades ago. We
reaffirm the centrality of the Palestinian refugees’ right to return and reparations.
UNRWA is indispensable, and there is no alternative to its central role.
In conclusion, we reiterate our categorical rejection of erasing the Palestinian
question or displacing Palestinians from their land and stress that the establishment
of an independent Palestinian State, along the borders of 4 June 1967, with East
Jerusalem as its capital, is a prerequisite for the implementation of the two-State
solution and to ensure the restoration of stability and security in the region. We call
on Member States to vote in favour of the two draft resolutions before the General
Assembly to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza, to save the people of Gaza from destruction
and ethnic cleansing, to strengthen UNRWA and protect its mandate, and to uphold
humanitarian values and support the principles on which our Organization was founded.
Ms. Oehri (Liechtenstein): Liechtenstein appreciates this opportunity for
the Assembly to meet today in an emergency special session, in accordance with
resolution 76/262, to discuss the veto cast in the Security Council on 20 November
(see S/PV.9790) and the situation in the Middle East as a whole.

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Liechtenstein thanks the 10 elected members of the Security Council for their
continued efforts in bringing about a solution to the conflict in Gaza and presenting
draft resolution S/2024/835 demanding yet again an immediate, unconditional and
permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties, as well as the immediate and
unconditional release of all hostages.
With the strong support of the majority of the Council, namely 14 members, the
use of the veto by the United States has been particularly appalling. We are grateful
that the General Assembly is stepping in once again, as it has done since 7 October
2023 and before on several occasions in this situation and will consider draft
proposals to address the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the region.
In that regard, we reiterate our call on all parties to fully abide by their obligations
under international humanitarian law, including the principles of military necessity,
precaution and proportionality, as well as the protection of civilians. We urge Israel
to grant access to humanitarian organizations to provide the necessary emergency
relief for civilians in Gaza.
Any violation of such obligations under international law must be prosecuted.
In that respect, Liechtenstein has taken note of the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber
of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants upon the request
of the Chief Prosecutor, in connection with the Court’s investigation in Palestine.
Liechtenstein is a long-standing and consistent supporter of the ICC and of the
independence and integrity of its work and a strong advocate for the consistent
application of international law. It is committed to fulfilling its cooperation
obligations under the Rome Statute. Liechtenstein will continue to stand up,
together with like-minded States, to defend the Court from political attacks and
against efforts to undermine its integrity and independence.
As the vetoed Security Council draft resolution (S/2024/835) underscored,
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) remains the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza.
Liechtenstein is extremely concerned about the bills adopted by the Knesset
prohibiting cooperation with UNRWA and aimed at drastically restricting its
operations, including in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Those laws are
incompatible with Israel’s obligations under international law and set a dangerous
precedent for the multilateral system. We welcome the press statement of 30 October
by the Security Council in support of UNRWA (SC/15874). We must work towards
keeping UNRWA operational by ensuring both its funding and its access to the
people we have mandated it to serve. Liechtenstein will work with partners towards
that end. UNRWA’s role in the region is indispensable.
Mr. Lagdameo (Philippines): The Philippines welcomes the ceasefire agreed
on 26 November 2024 to end 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah
in Lebanon. We hope that the landmark deal will create the conditions to restore
lasting peace and allow residents in both countries to return safely to their homes
on both sides of the Blue Line. In that regard, we note the diplomatic work done
by the United States and France to achieve that agreement, which we hope will be
fully implemented and enforced to prevent the conflict from becoming another
cycle of violence.
However, even as we welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah
in Lebanon, the Philippines remains gravely concerned over the catastrophic

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humanitarian situation in Gaza and the increasing tensions in the Middle East. In
that regard, the Philippines would like to reiterate the following.
First, we join calls from the international community for all parties concerned
to refrain from escalating the violence. We condemn all attacks against civilians
and civilian structures, which have resulted in an alarming number of casualties,
particularly among women and children. We therefore urge all parties to end that
vicious cycle of violence.
Secondly, we call for rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access
to all those in need in Gaza. In that regard, the Philippines reaffirms its support for
the full and immediate implementation of Security Council resolution 2735 (2024)
and all other relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions for a
comprehensive ceasefire and humanitarian provisions in Gaza. We also welcome
the advisory opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice on 19 July 2024.
Thirdly, diplomacy remains the cornerstone of achieving peace in the Middle
East. Meaningful dialogues and negotiations, based on mutual trust and in
accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, will be
key to achieving peace and stability in the Middle East.
Fourthly, the Philippines reiterates its unwavering support for a two-State
solution in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations
resolutions. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace, harmony
and prosperity and where their rights, aspirations and security are recognized
and upheld. In that regard, the Philippines supports the global alliance for the
implementation of a Palestinian State and a two-State solution — a groundbreaking
initiative spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, Norway and the European Union.
Fifthly, we reaffirm our full support for and confidence in the Secretary-
General and his work. We are confident in his commitment to international peace
and security, and his tireless efforts reflect our shared desire for an end to violence
and for meaningful dialogue in the pursuit of lasting peace in the Middle East.
Sixthly, the Philippines supports the creation of the State of Palestine and its
acceptance as a full-fledged member of the United Nations as soon as possible. The
General Assembly’s decision in May to upgrade Palestine’s rights at the United
Nations as an observer State (resolution ES-10/23) is an important step towards
realizing Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.
Finally, the Philippines reiterates its full support for all efforts and initiatives
that would stop the ongoing conflict, expand the space for meaningful dialogues
and negotiations, build trust and mutual understanding and promote cooperation
for lasting peace in the Middle East.
The Acting President: We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item
for this meeting. We shall hear the remaining speakers on Wednesday, 11 December
2024, at 10 a.m. in this Hall.
The meeting rose at 6 p.m.

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