{"id":290103,"date":"2023-10-26T14:39:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T18:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=290103"},"modified":"2023-10-26T14:39:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T18:39:02","slug":"un-general-assembly-convenes-emergency-meeting-on-gaza-news-item","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/un-general-assembly-convenes-emergency-meeting-on-gaza-news-item\/","title":{"rendered":"UN General Assembly Convenes Emergency Meeting on Gaza – News Item"},"content":{"rendered":"
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26 October 2023<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday morning, in New York, is holding an emergency special session on the Israel-Palestine conflict, amid a continuing deadlock at the Security Council, and conditions in the besieged enclave of Gaza growing more dire by the hour. Follow this page for live updates…<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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11:28 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

We must stand for peace: Jordan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On behalf of the Arab Group, Jordan\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said \u201cthere is no room for grey areas\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must stand for peace, our human values and the\u00a0UN Charter<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cHistory will judge us. Say no to war. Say no to the killing. Call out war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the killing continues, he said the Israeli Government have cabinet members that call for \u201cwiping out Palestinians from the face of this Earth\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael is making Gaza a hell on Earth,\u201d he said. \u201cThe trauma will haunt generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel must uphold values, he said. \u201cThe right to self-defence is not a right to impunity; Israel cannot remain above the law,\u201d he said. \u201cLet the guns go silent and let the will to live and let live prevail. Let\u2019s restore faith in the peace process as the only path to ending this conflict once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Safadi said Jordan, on behalf of the Arab Group, will table a draft resolution after the UN\u00a0Security Council<\/a>\u00a0failed to do so again on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cVote for it; make a stand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s make a collective cry, a cry out against more bloodletting,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s unite for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

11:05 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the podium of the General Assembly Hall Mr. Erdan presented a video on a tablet, turning the screen towards the delegates, that he said depicted a brutal decapitation with a garden tool against a helpless agricultural worker from Thailand.<\/p>\n

‘No words’ for evil of Hamas<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere are no words in any language to describe the evil we just witnessed,\u201d at the hands of a Hamas militant he said, adding that it is not describable because it has no place in humankind.<\/p>\n

\u201cISIS was the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and Hamas is the Islamic State of Gaza. Just as was done with ISIS, Hamas must be no more,\u201d he declared, stating that the goal of Israel is to \u201ccompletely eradicate Hamas\u2019 capabilities and we will use every means at our disposal to accomplish this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for revenge, not for retaliation. But to ensure such depravity and atrocity never occurs again,\u201d said the Israeli ambassador.<\/p>\n

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\"Ambassador<\/div>\n
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UN Photo\/Manuel El\u00edas<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel addresses the resumed 10th Emergency Special Session meeting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10:58 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

At war with Hamas: Israel<\/h3>\n

Gilad Erdan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel to UN, said that the 7 October massacre and what ensued \u201chas nothing\u201d to do with the Palestinians, the Arab-Israeli conflict or the Palestinian question.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a war with the Palestinians, Israel is at war with the genocidal jihadist Hamas terror organization. It is the law abiding democracy of Israel against modern day Nazis\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He went on to note that Hamas does not care about Palestinian people, peace or dialogue. Its only goal is to \u201cannihilate Israel and murder every single Jew on the face of the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Erdan spoke of the brutal killings of innocent Israeli civilians and intentional targeting of Israel medical teams that were trying to help the injured during the terror attack. He questioned the \u201chypocrisy\u201d that there is not a single condemnation of the barbarity against Israelis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hypocrisy is beyond belief,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n

10:44 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Riyad Mansour recalled Israel\u2019s recent comments in the UN Security Council about how its people are suffering, he said Palestinians are suffering too. Israel\u2019s representative had called to \u201crelease the hostages, then takes two million Palestinians hostage\u201d.<\/p>\n

There are 1,000 Palestinians killed every day, he said, adding that nothing can justify war crimes and crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not feel a sense of urgency to ending the killing,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are setting us back 80 years by trying to justify what Israel is doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n
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\u00a9 UNICEF\/Mohammad Ajjour<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Al Shati refugee camp in Gaza has been hit by air strikes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Decades of occupation<\/h3>\n

Palestinians have survived decades of occupation, 16 years of a blockade and five wars in Gaza, he said.<\/p>\n

The answer to the killing of Israelis and Palestinians is not more killing, he said, asking the UN membership to uphold UN principles and keep future generations from the scourge of war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only path forward is justice for the Palestinian people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cVote to stop the killing, vote to stop this madness,\u201d he said. \u201cChoose justice, not vengeance. Choose peace, not more wars. Vote to put an end to almost three weeks of the worst double standards we have seen in decades. Do not miss this chance. Lives are hanging in the balance. Please, save lives, save lives, save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Riyad<\/div>\n
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UN Photo\/Manuel El\u00edas<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, addresses the resumed 10th Emergency Special Session meeting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10:32 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meeting amidst death in Gaza: Palestine<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe are meeting here while Palestinians in Gaza are under the bombs,\u201d Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, said, speaking first.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are speaking while families are being killed, while hospitals are coming to a halt, while neighbourhoods are being destroyed, while people are fleeing from one place to another with no safe place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no time to mourn,\u201d he said tearfully, pointing to the rising death toll. \u201cIf you do not stop it for all those who have been killed, stop it for all those who can be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing personal accounts of life on the ground, he said humanitarian aid is badly needed. Hospitals are operating without anaesthetics, with doctors and patients alike wondering if help is on the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, it\u2019s just too much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

10:17 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Francis said he was “deeply disturbed and distraught” at the events unfolding in Israel and Palestine.<\/p>\n

“Yet again, we gather amidst the gravest escalation of violence and hostility in the Middle East in decades.”<\/p>\n

The violence “must end now” he declared. He called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire\u00a0<\/strong>and the opening of aid corridors.<\/p>\n

He voiced his condemnation of the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October, stating \u201cthe brutality of the Hamas assault is shocking and unacceptable, and has no place in our world.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also condemned the indiscriminate targeting of innocent civilians in Gaza and the destruction of critical infrastructure by Israel, \u201cthe ceaseless bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israel and its consequences are deeply alarming.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Protect and save lives’<\/h3>\n

Assembly President Francis underscored that the preeminent priority of the collective UN membership \u201cmust be to protect and to save civilian lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll parties to this conflict must abide by International Humanitarian Law, and immediately create the necessary conditions to allow for an opening of humanitarian corridor to the Gaza Strip,\u201d he said, emphasizing that urgently needed lifesaving assistance reach those in need.<\/p>\n

He also praised the work of UN personnel in Gaza, and offered condolences to the families of the 35 UNRWA staff members who were killed since the start of the crisis.<\/p>\n

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\"General<\/div>\n
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UN Photo\/Manuel El\u00edas<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10:10 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

The President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis gavelled the session open shortly after 10 but he will make the first address in the ornate General Assembly Hall.<\/p>\n

He reminded delegates that the emergency session is reconvening following a request by Member States, and letters signed by Jordan, Mauritania, Nicaragua and Russia, together with Syria.<\/p>\n

Members who have not paid their dues aren’t allowed to vote in General Assembly meetings like this, but Mr. Francis agreed by general consent to allow those in arrears a waiver, so they can take part.<\/p>\n

09:00 AM (New York)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The tenth Emergency Special Session of the Assembly is expected to start at 10 AM, New York time, and as of now, 110 speakers are inscribed on the list.<\/p>\n

The State of Palestine is expected to address Member States first, with Israel expected to go second.<\/p>\n

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Emergency Special Session<\/h3>\n

Under the \u201cUniting for Peace\u201d\u00a0landmark resolution<\/a>, adopted by the General Assembly in 1950, the body can convene an \u201cemergency special session\u201d within 24 hours, should the Security Council \u201cfail to exercise its primary responsibility\u201d for the maintenance of international peace and security.<\/p>\n

This tenth Emergency Special Session was\u00a0convened<\/a>\u00a0for the first time in April 1997, following a request from Qatar. It followed a series of Security Council and General Assembly meetings regarding the Israeli decision to build a large housing project in an area of East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

The Session last came together on 13 June 2018 to consider a draft\u00a0resolution<\/a>\u00a0entitled \u201cProtection of the Palestinian civilian population\u201d.<\/p>\n

At the end of that session, the Assembly decided to adjourn \u201ctemporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly at its most recent session to resume its meeting upon request from Member States.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ongoing crisis<\/h3>\n

According to several UN agencies on the ground, critical lifesaving supplies, fuels to keep hospitals running and drinking water is running out.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Security Council\u00a0failed to adopt<\/a>\u00a0two resolutions on addressing the humanitarian crisis. China and Russia vetoed a United States-led draft resolution and a second Russian-backed resolution failed to secure sufficient votes in favour.<\/p>\n

This followed failures for unity at the Council, last week. A Russian-led\u00a0draft resolution calling<\/a>\u00a0for an \u201cimmediate humanitarian ceasefire\u201d was voted down last Monday and the following Wednesday, the US vetoed a Brazilian-led\u00a0text that urged<\/a>\u00a0\u201chumanitarian pauses\u201d to deliver aid to millions in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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26 October 2023 The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday morning, in New York, is holding an emergency special session on the Israel-Palestine conflict, amid a continuing deadlock at the Security Council, and conditions in the besieged enclave of Gaza growing more dire by the hour. Follow this page for live updates… 11:28 AM We […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2477],"document-source":[1365,2345],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1769,5449,1829,2005,1741,5200,1785,1805,2117],"entity":[],"document-language":[],"class_list":["post-290103","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-news-item","document-source-general-assembly","document-source-general-assembly-10th-emergency-special-session","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-assistance-to-the-palestinian-people","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-humanitarian-relief","document-subject-israeli-actions-in-occupied-east-jerusalem-and-the-rest-of-the-occupied-palestinian-territory","document-subject-occupation","document-subject-terrorism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/290103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/290103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":290106,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/290103\/revisions\/290106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=290103"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=290103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}