The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question- Algeria: Security Council draft resolution – S/2024/173 (Vetoed)

20 February 2024

Algeria: draft resolution

The Security Council,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling all its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,

Recalling also the Order delivered on 26 January 2024 by the International Court of Justice indicating provisional measures to Israel in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (South Africa v. Israel) in relation to the right of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to be protected from all acts within the scope of Article II and Article III of the Convention,

Recalling further the letter dated 6 December 2023 of the Secretary-General, under Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations, addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2023/962),

Reiterating its demand that all parties to the conflict comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular with regard to the conduct of hostilities and the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and recalling the obligation to respect and protect humanitarian relief and medical personnel as well as medical infrastructure, medical transports and the wounded and sick, and to refrain from depriving the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of essential goods and services indispensable to their survival and humanitarian assistance, consistent with international humanitarian law and international human rights law,

Reaffirming the obligations of all parties regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance, and its demand that they allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip,

Welcoming the appointment of Ms. Sigrid Kaag, as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to its resolution 2720, underscoring the need to provide her team with the resources and support necessary to fulfil her mandate, and emphasizing the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip,

Reaffirming its strong concern for the disproportionate and grave effect that the conflict is having on the civilian population, with particular impact on the lives and well-being of children, women, and persons with disabilities as well as other civilians in vulnerable situations,

Expressing grave concern over the dire and urgently deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the adverse conditions of life for and suffering of the Palestinian civilian population,

Expressing also grave concern over the impact of the situation in Gaza on regional and international peace and security,

Emphasizing the imperative of accountability for all violations of international law,

Stressing that the Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the territory occupied in 1967, and reiterating the vision of the two-state solution, with the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian State,

1. Demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that must be respected by all parties;
2. Reiterates its demand that all parties scrupulously comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular including with regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and in this regard deplores all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism;
3. Rejects forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population, including women and children, in violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and demands an immediate end to any such violations;
4. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address medical needs of all hostages, and further demands that the parties comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons they detain and respect their human rights;
5. Reiterates its call for the full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip and for the urgent, continuous and sufficient provision of humanitarian assistance at scale to the Palestinian civilian population, including by facilitating the use of all available routes to and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings, in accordance with international humanitarian law and its relevant resolutions;
6. Demands the implementation of its resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023) in full;
7. Reiterates its unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority;
8. Emphasizes the importance of preventing further escalation in the region, and, in this regard, calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and calls on all those with influence on the parties to work toward this objective;
9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.