Document Library

Secretary-General's remarks at the Security Council briefing on the Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States

23 March 2022, New York

Mister President,

Secretary-General Aboul Gheit [of the League of Arab States],

Excellencies,

I welcome this opportunity to address the Security Council on the cooperation with the League of Arab States.

Strengthening our cooperation with regional organizations is a sine qua non for strengthening multilateralism globally.

We need partnership across all levels – from the local to the regional to the global.

The League of Arab States is critical across the spectrum of our work.

When COVID-19 upended societies and economies and threatened new vectors of instability, Secretary-General Aboul Gheit and I appealed to this Council to open space for multilateral efforts, humanitarian action, and diplomatic solutions.

Scanning the region today, these appeals are even more critical.

We remain united in our pursuit of multilateral answers to the cascading challenges facing the Arab world and beyond.

These efforts have an added urgency as we face the profound global ramifications of the war in Ukraine.

Numerous countries, for example, import at least half of their wheat from Ukraine or Russia – including Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods – when available – are at record levels.

All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe.

In addition, we are seeing clear evidence of this war draining resources and attention from other trouble-spots in desperate need.

Just last week, I was deeply disappointed that our appeal for Yemen received less than a third of the funds so urgently needed.

I cannot overstate the severity of the suffering of the people of Yemen.

20 million Yemenis need lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection, with women and children in greatest need of support.

I appeal to the generosity of members of the Arab League at this critical time.

And I renew my plea to all countries to find creative ways to finance increased humanitarian and development recovery needs worldwide, to give generously, and to immediately release pledged funds.

Mister President,
In Libya, I welcome the League’s constructive engagement to help preserve the unity and hard-won stability achieved since the signing of the Libyan ceasefire agreement in October 2020.

I count on the League and its membership to continue prioritizing agreement on a comprehensive political process and advance the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2570.

In Sudan, the League of Arab States and the United Nations have been working closely together – both bilaterally and in the context of the Friends of Sudan Group – to encourage meaningful dialogue towards an inclusive and peaceful transition.

In Syria, our two organizations are firmly united in support of the Syrian people, who feel abandoned by the world as they enter the eleventh year of a war that has subjected them to human rights violations on a massive and systematic scale and left the country in ruins.

The only way to break the deadlock and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people is through a credible political process that sees the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254.

We must keep working to forge a political path to a sustainable peace in which all Syrians are heard, grievances addressed, detainees released, and needs met. There must be no impunity.

In Lebanon, we are grateful to the Arab League and its members for urging the government to address the country’s crisis through meaningful reforms, timely elections, constructive engagement with the IMF, and the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701.

In Iraq, we welcome enhanced strategic cooperation between the government and members of the League, which included an observation mission to monitor Iraq’s parliamentary elections last October.

Strengthening regional cooperation and collaboration are also critical in Yemen, where escalating hostilities threaten to further heighten dramatic humanitarian needs and further diminish hopes for peace.

I count on the League of Arab States to support UN-led efforts to reach a lasting ceasefire, defuse tensions, advance an inclusive political process, and provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the Yemeni people. Faced with a catastrophic funding crunch, I urge everyone to do everything they can to prevent hunger and starvation from taking millions of lives.

In Israel-Palestine, the League and the United Nations remain committed to finding a path for the peace process to advance and the occupation to end.

Our shared goal remains two States – Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State – living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both States.

Political, economic and security conditions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory are deteriorating as Palestinians experience dispossession, violence and insecurity.

At the same time, UNRWA’s existential financial crisis is affecting the rights and wellbeing of Palestine refugees across the region.

I reiterate my call on Member States to increase their financial support to the Palestinian people and their contributions to UNRWA, a vital pillar of regional stability.

Mister President,
Ever closer cooperation with the Arab League is vital to achieving these goals.

From regular meetings with my Special Envoys and staff exchanges, to workshops on mediation and capacity-building exercises on inclusive peacemaking – our relationship is broadening and deepening.

We look forward to strengthening our ties further, including through the United Nations Liaison Office to the League of Arab States, which has opened new communication channels between our organizations at both headquarters and in the field.

We are particularly focused on building stronger partnerships with the League in the areas of Women, Peace, and Security, disarmament, mediation, and peacebuilding.

And we are expanding our cooperation on Youth, Peace, and Security issues in which capacity building and consultations on a regional strategy in the Arab region are increasing.

Looking ahead, we will hold our fifteenth general cooperation meeting in July to advance our biennial framework, and we will work together on a sectoral meeting on climate change.

Mister President, Excellencies,

Today more than ever, we need to come together and stand together in support of multilateral peaceful solutions.

This is why our relationship with the League of Arab States and the strong support from its membership have never been more essential – or more appreciated.

Shukran.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

--

REMARKS AT THE OPENING OF THE 2022 SESSION

OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE

OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

New York, 8 February 2022

[as delivered]

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory -- including East Jerusalem -- continues to pose a significant challenge to international peace and security.

The promise of the independence of the Palestinian state remains unfulfilled.

Political, economic and security conditions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory are deteriorating as Palestinians experience high levels of dispossession, violence and insecurity.

We urgently need to intensify collective efforts to resolve the conflict and end the occupation in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.

The goal remains two States – Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State – living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both States.

There is no plan B.

Excellencies,

I am encouraged by recent engagement between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.

I urge both sides to expand these contacts to encompass underlying political issues.

Piecemeal approaches to the question of Palestine will only ensure that the underlying issues perpetuating the conflict remain unaddressed.

Unilateral steps and illegal actions that drive the conflict must cease. Incitement to violence will lead nowhere and must also be rejected by all.

I am concerned by unabated violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including settler violence and military operations that have led to numerous deaths.

It is essential that the parties solidify the cessation of hostilities and support economic development in Gaza. Concerted efforts are essential to ensure calm, strengthen Palestinian institutions, restore hope and avoid a deadly escalation of violence.

Illegal settlement activity, demolitions, and evictions also continue, including in East Jerusalem, undermining international humanitarian and human rights law – and feeding hopelessness, animosity and diminishing prospects for a negotiated solution.

All settlement activity is illegal. It must stop.

Continued human rights violations against Palestinians significantly impede their ability to live in security and develop their communities and economies.

I also call on all parties to preserve the status quo at the Holy Sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Excellencies,

As the international community works towards reviving the political process, we must support efforts to improve the economic and humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

I am pleased by vital support for the UN Humanitarian Flash Appeal, ongoing reconstruction efforts in Gaza, and critical COVID-19 response efforts by the UN system on the ground.

I remain concerned about the dire fiscal situation facing the Palestinian Authority, which is undermining its institutional stability and ability to provide services to its people.

At the same time, UNRWA's existential financial crisis is affecting the rights and wellbeing of Palestine refugees across the region.

I call on Member States to increase their financial support to the Palestinian people and their contributions to UNRWA, a vital pillar of regional stability.

Let me also note recent Israeli decisions to increase the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. While a welcome development, it is important to expand such steps and work towards a full lifting of the debilitating closures in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1860.

Excellencies,

Time is running short.

We cannot lose sight of the long-sought goal of ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution.

All parties must take concrete steps that will enable a return to the path of meaningful negotiations and, ultimately, a just and lasting peace.

The United Nations is committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict.

Let us reinforce our shared commitment to this goal.

Thank you.

Bookmark the Spokesperson’s website: http://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson

Statement by the Secretary-General

--

MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

29 November 2021

On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory -- including East Jerusalem -- continues to pose a significant challenge to international peace and security. Persistent violations of the rights of Palestinians along with the expansion of settlements risk eroding the prospect of a two-State solution.

As the international community strives to re-start Israeli – Palestinian dialogue, I am encouraged by recent engagements between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials. However, containing the situation is not sufficient.

The overall goal remains two states living side-by-side in peace and security, fulfilling the legitimate national aspirations of both peoples, with borders based on the 1967 lines and Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

I call on the parties to avoid unilateral steps that would undermine the chances for a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. I further call on the parties to engage constructively to end the closure of Gaza and improve the living conditions of all Palestinians under occupation.

I commend the generous donors who support UNRWA and call for Member States to provide timely and predictable funding to allow the Agency to conduct its vital work.

Together, let us reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the Palestinian people in their quest to achieve their inalienable rights and build a future of peace, justice, security, and dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis.

بيان من الأمين العام

--

رسالة بمناسبة اليوم الدولي للتضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني

29 تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر 2021

ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ

في هذا اليوم الدولي للتضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني، لا تزال الحالة في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة - بما فيها القدس الشرقية - تشكل تحديا كبيرا للسلم والأمن الدوليين. وقد يؤدي استمرار انتهاكات حقوق الفلسطينيين، إلى جانب توسيع المستوطنات، إلى تآكل احتمالات التوصل إلى حل يقوم على وجود دولتين.

وفي الوقت الذي يسعى فيه المجتمع الدولي جاهدا إلى استئناف الحوار الإسرائيلي - الفلسطيني، أرى بوادر مشجعة في الاتصالات الأخيرة بين كبار المسؤولين الإسرائيليين والفلسطينيين. غير أن احتواء الحالة ليس كافيا.

فالهدف العام ما زال يتمثل في وجود دولتين تعيشان جنبا إلى جنب في سلام وأمن، وتلبيان التطلعات الوطنية المشروعة لكلا الشعبين، على أن تقوم الحدود بينهما على خطوط عام 1967 وتكون القدس عاصمة كلتا الدولتين.

وأدعو الطرفين إلى تجنب اتخاذ خطوات أحادية الجانب تقوض فرص التوصل إلى حل سلمي للنزاع استنادا إلى القانون الدولي وقرارات الأمم المتحدة ذات الصلة. وأدعو الطرفين كذلك إلى العمل البناء لإنهاء إغلاق غزة وتحسين الظروف المعيشية لجميع الفلسطينيين الخاضعين للاحتلال.

وأثني على الجهات المانحة السخية التي تدعم الأونروا وأدعو الدول الأعضاء إلى توفير التمويل في الوقت المناسب وبطريقة يمكن التنبؤ بها لتمكين الوكالة من القيام بعملها الحيوي.

فلْنؤكدْ معا مجددا التزامنا الثابت تجاه الشعب الفلسطيني في سعيه لإعمال حقوقه غير القابلة للتصرف وبناء مستقبل يسوده السلام والعدالة والأمن والكرامة للفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين على حد سواء.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

VIDEO REMARKS TO UNRWA CONFERENCE

Brussels 16 November 2021

I am pleased to join you in this critical conference in support of UNRWA.

My thanks to the governments of Jordan and Sweden for organizing this event and to all of you for being here.

You understand the essential role that UNRWA plays in the lives of generations of Palestine refugees.

UNRWA today is providing more than half a million children with high quality education;

Investing in human development;

Ensuring that Palestine refugees -- children, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities– have lifelines of hope and opportunity;

Managing the impact of shocks on the most vulnerable;

And empowering millions, despite the many obstacles and difficult conditions in which they live.

Through all of these efforts and more,

UNRWA is also enabling many of them to make extraordinary contributions to their communities and to the world at large.

And UNRWA is playing a pivotal role in promoting regional stability.

UN Member States have agreed on UNRWA’s comprehensive mandate for decades.

And yet UNRWA continues to face an existential crisis. We need to protect UNRWA from being used as a political pawn – and focus on its ability to carry out its General Assembly mandate and its unrelenting commitment to humanitarian principles and shared UN values.

Despite widely recognized achievements, UNRWA is prevented from assisting Palestine refugees in a predictable way.

Overwhelming support for UNRWA is not adequately matched by sufficient funding for its operations.

These recurring funding crises have led UNRWA to introduce austerity measures.

But these have reached their limits. What UNRWA really needs is adequate resources, including human resources.

I have put forward a proposal to the General Assembly for additional posts from the UN Regular Budget as a step to increase the core capacity of the Agency.

Today, I have two specific requests:

First, we need urgent and decisive support to maintain UNRWA’s ability to operate this year. We must bridge the immediate funding gap. UNRWA’s essential health, education and services must not be interrupted. A disruption of services and salaries would have a crippling impact – especially in a region already struggling with the consequences of the pandemic. These repeated funding crises affect the quality of UNRWA’s services and impose immense stress on Palestine refugees.

Second, I urge Member States to step up longer-term commitments and solidarity and match the generosity of the countries that host Palestine refugees. We need to collectively find a path towards more predictable, sufficient and sustainable funding for the Agency, including through multi-year commitments. I ask for your support.

Finally, I know you join me in expressing deep admiration for UNRWA’s work -- day in day out. The teachers, the doctors and nurses, the sanitation workers, the engineers, and so many others -- all are working under extreme duress to provide Palestine refugees with access to basic services that all of us take for granted.

I am grateful to all UNRWA staff for their tireless efforts to deliver, protect the rights of Palestine refugees and support their human development. Let’s help them help Palestine refugees. An investment in UNRWA is an investment in peace and hope. Thank you.

Watch the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+9+Nov+21/2683744_MSG+SG+UNRWA+PLEDGING+CONFERENCE+09+NOV+21.mp4

Secretary-General's message to the UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East

16 November 2021

Welcome to the 2021 United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East.

This year’s event also marks the 30th anniversary of the Madrid Peace Conference, a historic moment that led to dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and established a crucial foundation of peace upon which we must seek to build.

But over the last years, we have witnessed more setbacks.

Many are questioning the viability of a negotiated two-State solution.

We cannot lose hope.

We must explore every opportunity to revitalize the peace process.

I urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to demonstrate the political will necessary to revive and resume dialogue.

The two‑State solution, as defined by UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements remains the only path to ensuring that Palestinians and Israelis can both realize their legitimate aspirations: an end to the occupation and the realization of two independent, sovereign states, living side‑by‑side in peace and security, based on the 1967 lines, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

The United Nations remains committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians, and with our international and regional partners, including through the Middle East Quartet, to realize this goal.

I also want to recognize your crucial role. Free and independent journalism is a cornerstone of building peaceful societies.

I wish you a successful seminar. Thank you.

Watch the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoJDDuFnYCk

The Secretary-General’s

Remarks to the General Assembly Meeting

on the Situation in the Middle East and Palestine

New York, 20 May 2021

[as delivered]

The past ten days have witnessed a dangerous and horrific surge in deadly violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly Gaza, and in Israel.

I am deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. As of 19 May, this had claimed the lives of at least 208 Palestinians, including 60 children, and injured thousands more.

The continued indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups towards population centres in Israel, resulting in at least 12 fatalities including two children, and hundreds of injuries, is also unacceptable.

My heart goes out today to the victims and their loved ones.

The fighting must stop immediately. I appeal to all parties to cease hostilities, now and I reiterate my call on all sides for an immediate ceasefire.

The hostilities have caused serious damage to vital civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including roads and electricity lines, contributing to a humanitarian emergency. Crossings into Gaza have been closed and power shortages are affecting water supplies.

Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed, damaged, or rendered uninhabitable. Airstrikes have damaged several hospitals, which were already short of supplies due to years of debilitating closures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fighting has left thousands of Palestinians homeless, and forced over fifty thousand people to leave their homes and seek shelter in UNRWA schools, mosques, and other places with little access to water, food, hygiene or health services.

I was horrified by reports that nine members of one family were killed in al-Shati refugee camp.

If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza today.

The destruction of media offices and the killing of a journalist in Gaza are extremely concerning. Journalists must be able to carry out their essential work, including in conflict zones, without fear of attack and harassment. They must be protected and respected.

I am deeply distressed by damage to United Nations facilities in Gaza. United Nations premises are inviolable, including during armed conflict. Humanitarian installations must be respected and protected.

United Nations agencies and our partners continue to provide aid to the people of Gaza.

UNRWA is providing drinking water, sanitation, and electricity generators for those sheltering in its schools, while the World Food Programme has provided electronic vouchers to 74,000 people in Gaza.

Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock and I will launch a full humanitarian appeal for funding as soon as possible and in the meanwhile, to meet immediate needs, I am working on an allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund, and the Humanitarian Coordinator intends to release $14m from the Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

I urge donors to follow through on the pledges they have made.

Access for humanitarian goods is paramount. Attacks by militant groups on areas surrounding crossing points are unacceptable.

At the same time, Israel has a duty to allow and facilitate rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian aid – including food, fuel and medical supplies – into Gaza.

Meanwhile, rockets fired by militants in Gaza have reached as far as Tel Aviv and its suburbs and Ben Gurion airport, claiming civilian lives, causing hundreds of injuries, and damaging residential and commercial property.

Even wars have rules. First and foremost, civilians must be protected.

Indiscriminate attacks, and attacks against civilians and civilian property, are violations of the laws of war.

So are attacks against military objectives that cause disproportionate loss of civilian life and injury to civilians.

There is no justification, including counterterrorism or self-defence, for the abdication by the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

I urge the Israeli authorities to abide by the laws governing armed conflict, including the proportionate use of force. I call on them to exercise maximum restraint in the conduct of military operations.

I likewise urge Hamas and other militant groups to stop the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighbourhoods into civilian population centres in Israel, also in clear violation of international humanitarian law. Densely populated civilian areas must not be used for military purposes.

But above all, what we must - and I am repeating my appeal - what we must achieve is an immediate ceasefire.

I am also deeply concerned by the continuation of violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where several Palestinian families are under the threat of eviction. These developments were preceded by weeks of tension, including around the Holy Sites.

I urge Israel to cease demolitions and evictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

All settlement activities, including evictions and demolitions, are illegal under international law.

Jerusalem is a holy city for three world religions. I underscore that the status quo at the Holy Sites must be upheld and respected.

In Israel, communal violence and inflammatory rhetoric have added a further worrying dimension to the crisis. This localized violence has diminished over the past week, and I commend Jewish and Arab community leaders and civil society organizations for their positive contributions to peace.

Furthermore, with every day that passes, the risk that the violence could spread beyond Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory increases. This conflict creates an environment that is ripe for exploitation by radicals and extremists. We must prevent at all costs the emergence of a new locus of dangerous instability in the region.

It is imperative that we achieve de-escalation, to prevent an uncontainable cross-border security and humanitarian crisis.

United Nations officials, including my Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and I myself, are undertaking extensive diplomatic efforts within the region, including with Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, and with key partners in the international community, to encourage all sides to halt the violence.

We are engaging directly with the parties to conflict, including Hamas, in our efforts to secure an end to hostilities.

I commend the ongoing efforts of Member States aimed at encouraging all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and prevent further civilian casualties, and reach a cessation of hostilities.

I call on all members of the international community to do everything in their power to enable the parties to conflict to step back from the brink.

And I call on the parties themselves to allow for mediation efforts to intensify in order to bring the fighting to an end.

These horrific events did not arise in isolation. They must be viewed in the context of decades of military occupation, political deadlock, grievances and hopelessness, and a failure to address the core issues at the heart of the conflict.

We know far too well that violence begets violence. The unconscionable death, suffering and destruction of the past ten days only serve to push the prospect of sustained peace further into the future.

A revitalized peace process is the only route to a just and lasting solution.

It is imperative that we keep this long-term vision alive. It starts by replacing anger and disillusionment with hope for a future in which both Palestinians and Israelis live side by side, in peace and security.

We must work towards a resumption of negotiations that will address the status of Jerusalem and other final status issues; end the occupation; and allow for the realization of a two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, UN resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as capital of both Israel and Palestine.

The United Nations is deeply committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians, and with our international and regional partners, including through the Middle East Quartet, to realize a lasting and just peace.

Only through renewing our commitment and redoubling our efforts towards a negotiated solution can we bring this cruel violence and hatred to a definitive end.

Thank you.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

--
OPENING REMARKS TO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

16 May 2021

[as delivered]

I thank the Chinese presidency for organizing this open meeting.

We meet today amid the most serious escalation in Gaza and Israel in years.

The current hostilities are utterly appalling. This latest round of violence only perpetuates the cycles of death, destruction and despair, and pushes farther to the horizon any hopes of coexistence and peace.

Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately. Rockets and mortars on one side and aerial and artillery bombardments on the other must stop. I appeal to all parties to heed this call.

The United Nations is actively engaging all sides towards an immediate ceasefire.

The hostilities have already caused unconscionable death, immense suffering and damage to vital infrastructure. I am appalled by the increasingly large numbers of Palestinian civilian casualties, including many women and children, from Israeli strikes in Gaza. I also deplore Israeli fatalities from rockets launched from Gaza.

I am also deeply concerned by violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, where some Palestinian families are under threat of eviction.

In Israel, violence by vigilante-style groups and mobs has added a further horrendous dimension to an already deteriorating crisis. Leaders on all sides have a responsibility to curb inflammatory rhetoric and calm the rising tensions.

The fighting risks dragging Israelis and Palestinians into a spiral of violence with devastating consequences for both communities and for the entire region.

It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole, potentially creating a new locus of dangerous instability.

The hostilities have forced thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes in Gaza and shelter in schools, mosques and other places with limited access to water, food, hygiene or health services. Hospitals are already overstretched due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Israeli civilians live in fear of rockets launched from Gaza.

I am appalled by the attack on a refugee camp in Gaza, in which 10 members of one family were killed. Humanitarian installations must be protected.

Journalists must be allowed to work free of fear and harassment. The destruction of media offices in Gaza is extremely concerning.

This senseless cycle of bloodshed, terror and destruction must stop immediately.

All parties must respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The status quo at the holy sites must be upheld and respected.

My Special Coordinator will brief you today on the latest developments on the ground and our efforts to de-escalate the situation.

Let me reiterate that the United Nations remains deeply committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians and with our international and regional partners, including the Middle East Quartet, to realize a lasting and just peace.

We are in contact with many relevant interlocuters and I again call on the parties to allow mediation efforts to intensify and succeed.

The only way forward is to return to negotiations with the goal of a two-States solution, with two States living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, based on relevant UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements.

The longer this cycle of violence continues, the more challenging it will be to reach that ultimate goal.

Only a negotiated sustainable political solution will end, once and for all, these devastating cycles of violence and lead to a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

I thank you.

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on Gaza

The Secretary-General appeals to all parties to immediately cease the fighting in Gaza and Israel.

The ongoing military escalation has caused great suffering and destruction. It has claimed scores of civilian lives, including, tragically, many children. The fighting has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole.

The parties must allow for mediation efforts to intensify with a view to ending the fighting immediately. The UN is actively involved in such efforts, which are also crucial for delivering much needed humanitarian aid to the affected people in Gaza.

The Secretary-General reiterates that only a sustainable political solution will lead to lasting peace. He reiterates his commitment, including through the Middle East Quartet, to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

14 May 2021

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

- on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the serious escalations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, including the latest escalation in Gaza, which add to the heightened tensions and violence in occupied East Jerusalem.

He is deeply saddened to learn of increasingly large numbers of casualties, including children, from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and of Israeli fatalities from rockets launched from Gaza.

The Secretary-General’s thoughts are with the families of the victims.

Israeli security forces must exercise maximum restraint and calibrate their use of force. The indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars towards Israeli population centres is unacceptable.

This spiraling escalation must cease immediately.

The United Nations is working with all relevant parties to de-escalate the situation urgently.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

11 May 2021