{"id":308060,"date":"2025-05-28T09:11:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&#038;p=308060"},"modified":"2025-06-03T09:13:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T13:13:04","slug":"two-state-solution-on-life-support-special-coordinator-tells-security-council-calling-for-urgent-humanitarian-assistance-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/two-state-solution-on-life-support-special-coordinator-tells-security-council-calling-for-urgent-humanitarian-assistance-in-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Two-State solution on life support\u2019, Special Coordinator tells Security Council, calling for urgent humanitarian assistance in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>28 May 2025<\/p>\n<p>9923rd Meeting (AM)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018History Will Not Absolve Those Who Delay Justice in Face of Genocide\u2019, Says Delegate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<div class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-block-node-press-body\">\n<div class=\"block-content\">\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field__items\">\n<div class=\"field__item\">\n<p>The two-State solution is on life support, the Security Council heard today from a senior United Nations official who called for urgent humanitarian assistance in Gaza while speakers for Israel and the State of Palestine accused each other of politicizing aid delivery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstead of saying goodbye, Palestinians in Gaza now say \u2018see you in heaven\u2019\u201d, Sigrid Kaag, <strong>United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ad Interim<\/strong>, said in her briefing. \u00a0Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, civilians have constantly come under fire and are deprived of life-saving relief. \u00a0Israel must halt its devastating strikes on civilian life and infrastructure in Gaza, she urged.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"&quot;Gaza Deserves More Than Survival&quot; \u2013 UN Security Council Briefing\" width=\"1320\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NKZq-ya4PwU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>On 18 May, the UN was informed by Israeli authorities of the approval for the resumption of limited aid entry into Gaza. \u00a0This is comparable to \u201ca lifeboat after the ship has sunk\u201d, she said, stressing that aid cannot be negotiable. \u00a0Stressing that Israel has the right to live in peace and security, she said this was undeniably shaken by the horrific terror attacks of 7\u00a0October.\u00a0 The hostages need to be released unconditionally, she said, and Hamas and other armed groups must stop launching rockets towards Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The Council must move from managing the conflict to ending it, she said, adding that peace cannot be a transaction or a temporary arrangement. \u00a0Also highlighting the dangerous trajectory in the West Bank, she pointed to the acceleration of the \u201c<em>de facto<\/em>\u00a0annexation through settlement expansion, land seizures and settler violence\u201d. \u00a0The General Assembly\u2019s High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, to be held in June, must not end up as \u201canother rhetorical exercise\u201d, she said, adding: \u00a0\u201cStatehood is a right, not a reward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Feroze Sidhwa<strong>, civil-society representative<\/strong>, then told the Council that he is a trauma surgeon from the United States who has volunteered at two medical facilities in Khan Younis in 2024 and 2025.\u00a0 \u201cI did not see or treat a single combatant during my five weeks in Gaza \u2014 my patients were six-year-olds with shrapnel in their hearts and bullets in their brains, pregnant women whose pelvises were obliterated and fetuses cut in two while still in the womb,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot pretend not to have seen it,\u201d he said, emphasizing:\u00a0 \u201cYou, too, cannot claim ignorance.\u201d\u00a0 Underscoring that the medical system has not failed \u2014 \u201cit has been systematically dismantled through a sustained military campaign that has willfully violated international humanitarian law\u201d \u2014 he stressed that \u201cpreventing genocide means refusing to normalize these atrocities.\u201d\u00a0 The War Child Alliance reports that \u201cnearly half of Gaza\u2019s children are suicidal\u201d, he told Council members.<\/p>\n<p>He urged them \u2014 \u201cand especially my own Government\u201d \u2014 to demand an immediate ceasefire and a halt to all arms transfers.\u00a0 Further, it is necessary to \u201cexplicitly reject the weaponization and politicization of aid embodied by the \u2018Gaza Humanitarian Foundation\u2019\u201d, he said, noting the public resignation of the Foundation\u2019s executive director on 25\u00a0May due to the \u201clack of adherence to humanitarian principles\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"\u2018I Cannot Pretend Not to Have Seen It\u2019: U.S. Volunteer Surgeon Testifies on Gaza\" width=\"1320\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/872rCkFK-FQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u201cFlames and hunger are devouring Palestinian children,\u201d Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>State of Palestine<\/strong>, said.\u00a0 Overcome by sobs, he recounted images of mothers embracing the motionless bodies of children. \u00a0He said that 1,300 children have been killed by Israel since it broke the ceasefire on 18\u00a0March.\u00a0 After seeing starvation used as a weapon of war, \u201cnow we see aid being used as a weapon of war,\u201d he added. \u00a0If Israel wanted aid in, it would open the crossings and allow humanitarian aid to enter fully. \u00a0But its true concern is how to get rid of the Palestinians by killing them, starving them and destroying Gaza, he said, drawing attention to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s mockery of claims of starvation in Gaza, as well as well as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich\u2019s incendiary speeches in the Old City of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<p>The representative of <strong>Israel<\/strong>, meanwhile, noted that 170 trucks entered Gaza on 26 May with food and medicine, and that new aid-distribution centres ensure that these goods get \u201cto civilians, not to terrorists\u201d. However, he said that the UN has not only refused to condemn Hamas for its efforts to sabotage these new centres, but \u201cis now actively joining Hamas in trying to block that aid\u201d by removing organizations participating in the new mechanism from the central system tracking aid delivered into Gaza. He said that this is \u201cthe extortion of well-meaning NGOs who refused to kiss the ring\u201d and \u201ca shakedown by UN mobsters\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The representative of the <strong>United<\/strong> <strong>States<\/strong>, underscoring Israel\u2019s right to defend itself, called on the UN to work with the Gaza Heritage Foundation \u2014 \u201can independent entity established to provide a secure mechanism for the delivery of aid directly to those in need\u201d. \u00a0He also recalled the two Israeli embassy officials murdered last week in his country, and noted that one of them had made a social media post about antisemitism at the UN, condemning Tom Fletcher, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for antisemitism. \u00a0His country will continue its effort to bring about a diplomatic agreement that will free the hostages, he said, but Hamas continues to reject proposals, violently suppresses protests and diverts aid meant for civilians.<\/p>\n<p>Several Council members condemned the shooting of the two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. Many expressed support for Mr. Fletcher whose humanitarian briefing last week highlighted the risk of famine in Gaza. Speakers also highlighted the failures of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and underscored that aid should not be political.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c9,000 trucks wait at the border.\u00a0Our message to Prime Minister Netanyahu is clear: \u00a0let aid in and enable the UN to operate, now,\u201d said the representative of the\u00a0<strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>, while stressing Israel\u2019s right to defend itself. Recalling warnings from UN officials about the risks from the Israeli Government\u2019s plan for aid delivery, he said: \u201cIn Rafah yesterday, we saw this warning become a reality as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation lost control of its distribution center, with multiple casualties reported and great distress for those desperately seeking aid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The representatives of the <strong>Russian Federation<\/strong> and <strong>Panama<\/strong> also noted that incident in which despairing, hungry Palestinians overcame a distribution centre.\u00a0 \u201cThese facts demonstrate the limitations of this solution\u201d, the latter said, underscoring the urgent need for better coordination, with the participation of UN agencies.\u00a0 The <strong>Republic of Korea<\/strong>\u2019s delegate appealed to Israel to listen to the principled voices of humanitarian workers, including the former Executive Director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, who resigned because he said that entity could not adhere to the principles of humanity and neutrality.<\/p>\n<p>He as well as the representative of Greece, Council President for May, speaking in his national capacity, also condemned the recent incident in which shots were fired during a visit of foreign diplomats in Jenin.<\/p>\n<p>The representative of the <strong>United Arab Emirates<\/strong>, speaking for the <strong>Arab<\/strong> <strong>Group<\/strong>, said the aid Israel has recently permitted represents \u201ca drop in the ocean compared to Gaza\u2019s overwhelming humanitarian needs\u201d.\u00a0The \u201cchaos\u201d that ensued at the distribution centre underlines the need for aid delivery coordinated with the United Nations.\u00a0 He added that Israel\u2019s recent military escalation, along with its efforts to militarize and manipulate humanitarian aid, further its declared objective \u2014 \u201cnamely, to make life in Gaza unliveable, forcibly displace its population and seize Palestinian land in clear violation of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Speakers urged the Council to renew efforts towards a ceasefire and revive the two-State solution, many of them highlighting the suffering of the children of Gaza. \u00a0The representative of <strong>Algeria<\/strong> asked: \u00a0\u201cWhat is the worth of saying \u201818,000 children\u2019?\u201d\u00a0 Stressing that \u201cthese are not only numbers\u201d, he said that they are lives, dreams, voices, playtimes and lullabies extinguished.\u00a0 \u201cThe Israeli army killed them\u201d \u2014\u2014 deliberately \u2014 he underscored, adding:\u00a0 \u201cTheir deaths were not collateral; they were the consequences of a system that sees Palestinian lives as not human, as disposable.\u201d\u00a0 Emphasizing that the Israeli occupation persists, emboldened by impunity and immunity, he asked: \u00a0\u201cWhat is expected of the Palestinians?\u00a0 Must they continue offering their children on the altar of global inaction?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven our experience\u201d, <strong>Sierra<\/strong> <strong>Leone<\/strong>\u2019s delegate said, \u201cwe understand too well the consequences of delayed international action or inaction\u201d. \u00a0He recalled \u201cwith painful clarity\u201d the global failure to prevent mass atrocities in Rwanda and Srebrenica.\u00a0 \u201cThe obligation to prevent genocide is not discretionary,\u201d he underscored.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>Denmark<\/strong> remains firmly committed to Israel\u2019s security,\u201d said the former\u2019s representative, while adding:\u00a0 \u201cHowever, this cannot come at the cost of the civilian Palestinian people and their right to live in peace and dignity.\u201d \u00a0The representative of <strong>France<\/strong>, while underlining the need to disarm and politically neutralize Hamas, said:\u00a0 \u201cHowever, the civilians in Gaza are not Hamas, and they are enduring a humanitarian situation that is devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Guyana\u2019s<\/strong> delegate stressed that any peace deal reached should guarantee that Palestinians are not forced to give up any of their rights in exchange for peace. \u00a0<strong>China\u2019s<\/strong> delegate noted repeated calls from the Israeli side to completely destroy and take over Gaza. \u00a0Noting the Israeli army\u2019s control over more than 70\u00a0per\u00a0cent of Gaza, as well as the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank, he said the annexation of those territories will completely erode the two-State solution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the task of listing every single cruelty has become impossible, our responsibility not to remain silent has become clearer,\u201d stressed Slovenia\u2019s representative.\u00a0 He spotlighted <strong>Israel\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cclear responsibility to protect civilians\u201d and underlined the \u201cclear responsibility to act\u201d, which is why his country strongly supports the upcoming June conference on the two-State solution.<\/p>\n<p>Several delegates, including the representatives of <strong>Somalia<\/strong>, expressed support for the upcoming international peace conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France. \u00a0While the Assembly will hold that Conference in June, \u201cthe Council cannot remain a bystander,\u201d <strong>Pakistan\u2019s<\/strong> delegate said, adding: \u00a0\u201cHistory will not absolve those who delay justice in the face of genocide.\u201d \u00a0He called on the Council to support the humanitarian resolution to be tabled in that organ soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; 28 May 2025 9923rd Meeting (AM) \u2018History Will Not Absolve Those Who Delay Justice in Face of Genocide\u2019, Says Delegate The two-State solution is on life support, the Security Council heard today from a senior United Nations official who called for urgent humanitarian assistance in Gaza while speakers for Israel and the State of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/two-state-solution-on-life-support-special-coordinator-tells-security-council-calling-for-urgent-humanitarian-assistance-in-gaza\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[660,759,795,834,867,897,1035,1593,1041,1074,5836,6578,1197,2321,2553],"document-category":[1329],"document-source":[1362],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2517,1769,1945,1829,2265,5358,2005,6848,1741,1749,1745,6771,6245,6251],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-308060","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-algeria","country-china","country-denmark","country-france","country-guyana","country-israel","country-pakistan","country-palestine-state-of","country-panama","country-russian-federation","country-sierra-leone","country-somalia","country-united-arab-emirates","country-united-kingdom","country-united-states-of-america","document-category-press-release","document-source-security-council","document-subject-access-and-movement","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-ceasefire","document-subject-ClosuresCurfewsBlockades","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-hostages","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-palestine-question","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-two-state-solution","document-subject-violence","document-subject-west-bank","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/308060","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\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/308060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":308069,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/308060\/revisions\/308069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=308060"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=308060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}