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More than forty years ago, the General Assembly established an International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people to remind us of our collective, unfinished task of resolving the question of Palestine.

Over the decades, this has become one of the most intractable challenges for the international community, and we know only too well the tragic results.

Demolitions, illegal continued settlement expansion and construction, forced evictions and collective punitive measures will not bring peace.

The same goes for violence and incitement, and similarly, unilateral steps will not resolve final status issues or the conflict.

Only constructive negotiations, in good faith, and adhering to the long-established and agreed parameters for a two-State solution, will bring the desired, long-lasting solution.

Containing the situation is not sufficient.

I call on all actors, and first and foremost the leadership of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, to take bold steps and restore faith in the promise of Resolution 181, of 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 – East Jerusalem being the capital of the Palestinian state.

It is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

It is the only option for a comprehensive and just peace, and I call on the international community to intensify its engagement and reiterate its commitment to assist Palestinians and Israelis in reaching the two-State solution.

Today, in particular, our hearts are heavy with the suffering of the people in Gaza.

Approximately two million Palestinians remain blocked in increasing poverty and unemployment, with limited access to adequate health, education, water and electricity.

Young people see little prospect of a better future.

I urge Israel to lift restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which also hamper the efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, without jeopardizing legitimate security concerns.

I call on Hamas and other militant groups to halt their military build-up in Gaza, including the indiscriminate launching of rockets and incendiary devices directed at Israel.

The violence during demonstrations at the Gaza fence is a matter of great concern.

Palestinians in Gaza have legitimate grievances and the right to demonstrate peacefully.
Hamas and the leaders of the demonstrations have a responsibility to prevent violent actions and provocations.

But for its part, Israel has a responsibility to exercise maximum restraint and to not use lethal force, except as a last resort against imminent threat of death or serious injury.

I am encouraged by the recent reduction of violence in Gaza.

I commend the efforts of the Government of Egypt and key regional and international partners – together with my Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process – to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, restore calm and support intra-Palestinian reconciliation and the return of the legitimate Palestinian Government in Gaza.

I also salute the work of UNRWA, delivering on its mandate despite unprecedented challenges.

I am grateful to all Member States who have stepped up their support to UNRWA to help uphold the dignity of Palestine refugees until the conflict is resolved as part of a final status agreement.

The United Nations will not waver in its commitment to the Palestinian people.

On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and to building a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

Secretary-General Urges Israel, Palestine to Realize Two-State Solution Promise, in Message for International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed on 29 November:

This year’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People takes place at a time of turmoil, trouble and torment. The decades-long Palestinian struggle for self-determination, independence and a life of dignity faces numerous obstacles, including: continued military occupation of Palestinian territory; ongoing violence and incitement; continued settlement construction and expansion; deep uncertainties about the peace process; and deteriorating humanitarian and economic conditions, particularly in Gaza.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is providing indispensable services and needs our full support.

I urge Israel, Palestine and all others with influence to restore the promise and viability of the two-State solution premised on two States living side by side in peace, harmony and within secure and recognized borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and to building a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sgsm19361.doc.htm

[ENDS].

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the situation in Gaza

The Secretary-General is following closely the latest security developments in Gaza. He urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. The United Nations Special Coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov, is working closely with Egypt and all concerned parties to restore calm.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 12 November 2018

[ENDS].

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

15 August 2018

The Secretary-General welcomes the Israeli decision to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing to its full operating capacity this morning and to expand the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza.

He is encouraged to see that those concerned have responded to calls to avoid the devastating impact of yet another conflict on the civilian population in and around Gaza.

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to support the efforts of UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov and Egypt to avoid an escalation and address all humanitarian issues in Gaza and the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

[ENDS]

Statement by the Secretary-General on the violent escalation in Gaza

I am gravely concerned over the dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel. I deeply regret the loss of life. It is imperative that all sides urgently step back from the brink of another devastating conflict.

I call on Hamas and other Palestinian militants to cease the launching of rockets and incendiary kites and provocations along the fence. And Israel must exercise restraint to avoid further inflaming the situation.

I encourage all to engage with the UN, and particularly my Special Coordinator, and work to find a way out of this dangerous situation. Any further escalation will endanger the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike, deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and undermine current efforts to improve livelihoods and support the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

Secretary-General's remarks to UNRWA Pledging Conference [as delivered]

Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We in the international community face a constant challenge – to address urgent matters while also keeping our focus on long-term priorities.

This Pledging Conference for UNRWA is about doing both.

The outstanding work of UNRWA has an immediate effect by meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of millions of Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

At the same time, this work provides a foundation of hope and dignity – serving as a critical conflict prevention mechanism in a turbulent region and moving our world closer to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind.

For decades, UNRWA’s high quality education has set the standard in the region.

Gender parity has been the norm in schools for generations, an extraordinary accomplishment anywhere, let alone in a region that has struggled with this issue.

UNRWA health care has attained near universal immunization.

UNRWA microfinance programs have invested $500 million in small business, with a focus on female-led households, raising Palestinian families out of poverty.

And UNRWA’s food assistance to 1.7 million refugees keeps hunger at bay.

All these efforts have taken place in an environment of chronic economic hardship and conflict.

I am deeply grateful to the governments that have already contributed to UNRWA this year.

Many of you advanced your funding, which provided the breathing space for UNRWA to react to its unexpected financial crisis.

At the extraordinary ministerial conference in Rome and the League of Arab States Summit in Dammam, many more countries stepped up.

Thanks to $200 million in new funding, UNRWA has been able to maintain its vital services.

At the same time, UNRWA has taken extraordinary measures to reduce its expenditures by an additional $92 million.

It has launched the campaign Dignity is Priceless to raise funds from individuals.

It has received funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund, as well as from new mechanisms, such as a partnership with the innovative Education Cannot Wait fund.

It is developing a Trust Fund with the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank; it developed itself an endowment fund as proposed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In short, UNRWA has reacted swiftly to the crisis -- seeking all available tools, reaching out to traditional and non-traditional financing.

In time, I believe these efforts will create a sustainable funding base for UNRWA’s future.

But these innovative efforts will not be sufficient to fully close the funding shortfall this year.

We count on you, the Member States of the United Nations, to make up the difference.

At the General Assembly, the international community made a collective commitment to provide assistance to Palestine refugees.

I know too well the pressure you face when demands are great and resources are scarce.

But we cannot afford to allow UNRWA’s vital efforts to falter.

Failure to provide desperately needed resources comes with a price.

More hardship for communities. More desperation for the region. More instability for our world.

We need look no further than Gaza to see people who have suffered for too long and whose existence becomes more precarious by the day.

Last year I travelled there and met with UNRWA students.

They spoke with eloquence and maturity about their situation, their aspirations, and the need for peace.

We must not abandon them.

We must do everything possible to ensure that food continues to arrive, that schools remain open and that people do not lose hope.

Across the region, millions of Palestine refugees are counting on us to relieve their suffering and to help them to build a better future.

They are counting on us for action now.

I urge all of you to join together to close UNRWA’s funding gap.

It is a wise investment for today and for the future.

Thank you.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL

New York, 13 April 2018

[As delivered]

Mr. President,
Excellencies,

The situation in the Middle East is in chaos — to such an extent it has become a threat to international peace and security.

The region is facing a true Gordian knot – different fault lines crossing each other and creating a highly volatile situation with risks of escalation, fragmentation and division as far as the eye can see with profound regional and global ramifications.

We see a multiplicity of divides. The first is the memory of the Cold War. But to be precise, it is more than a simple memory. The Cold War is back — with a vengeance but with a difference. The mechanisms and the safeguards to manage the risks of escalation that existed in the past no longer seem to be present.

Second, the Palestinian-Israeli divide.

Third, the Sunni-Shia divide, evident from the Gulf to the Mediterranean. It is important to note that apparent religious divides are normally the result of political or geo-strategic manipulations.

Finally, a wide range of different factors — from opposing attitudes in relation to the role of the Muslim Brotherhood or the status of the Kurds, to the dramatic threats to communities that have been living in the region for millennia and are part of the rich diversity of Middle Eastern societies.


This multiplicity of divides is reflected in a multiplicity of conflicts with different degrees of interconnection, several of them clearly linked to the threat of global terrorism.

Many forms of escalation are possible.

We see the wounds of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict deepening once again.

The recent violence in Gaza has resulted in many needless deaths and injuries.

I repeat my call for an independent and transparent investigation into these incidents.
I also appeal to those concerned to refrain from any act that could lead to further casualties and, in particular, any measures that could place civilians in harm's way.

This tragedy underlines the urgency of revitalizing the peace process for a two-state solution that will allow Palestinians and Israelis to live in two democratic states side by side in peace and within secure and recognised borders.

I reaffirm the United Nations’ readiness to support these efforts.

In Yemen, we are witnessing the worst humanitarian disaster in today’s world.

There is only one pathway to ending the Yemeni conflict and addressing the humanitarian crisis – a negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue.

My Special Envoy Martin Griffiths is doing everything possible to facilitate that political settlement — and he will brief the Council next week.

In Libya, I encourage all parties to continue to work with my Special Representative Ghassan Salamé, as he engages in the political process with a broad range of Libyan interlocutors across the country to implement the UN Action Plan.

It is high time to end the Libyan conflict.

Iraq demonstrates that progress is possible with concerted local, regional and global commitment.

With the defeat of Daesh, and after overcoming the risk of fragmentation, the Government of Iraq must now focus on reconstruction, reforms and reconciliation. I hope the upcoming elections will consolidate this progress.

At the recent Paris and Rome conferences, the international community reaffirmed its support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and state security institutions.
It is absolutely essential to avoid a new Israel-Hezbollah conflict that could inevitably result in many more victims and much greater destruction than the last war.

I reiterate the critical importance to act on key principles and commitments on Lebanon, including Security Council resolutions such as 1701, and the policy of disassociation.

The dangers of the links to the Syrian conflict are evident in the recent confrontations between Iran and Israel in Syria.

Mr. President,
Syria indeed today represents the most serious threat to international peace and security.

In Syria, we see confrontations and proxy wars involving several national armies, a number of armed opposition groups, many national and international militia, foreign fighters from everywhere in the world, and various terrorist organizations.

From the beginning, we have witnessed systematic violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international law tout court — in utter disregard of the letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter.

For eight long years, the people of Syria have endured suffering upon suffering.

I reiterate: there is no military solution to the conflict.

The solution must be political through the Geneva intra-Syrian talks, as stipulated in resolution 2254 of the Security Council, in line with the consistent efforts of my Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Syrians have lived through a litany of horrors: atrocity crimes, sieges, starvation, indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, the use of chemical weapons, forced displacement, sexual violence, torture, detention and enforced disappearances. The list goes on.

In a moment of hope, the Security Council adopted resolution 2401 demanding that all parties cease hostilities without delay for a durable humanitarian pause.

Unfortunately, no such cessation of hostilities ever really took place.

That is the bleak panorama of Syria today.

In this panorama, I am outraged by the continued reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

I reiterate my strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by any party to the conflict and under any circumstances. Their use is abhorrent and a clear violation of international law.

The seriousness of the recent allegations requires a thorough investigation using impartial, independent and professional expertise.

In this regard, I reaffirm my full support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons – the OPCW -- and its Fact-Finding Mission in undertaking the required investigation into these allegations.

The Fact-Finding Mission should be granted full access, without any restrictions or impediments to perform its activities. I take note that the Syrian government has requested it and committed to facilitate it.

The first team of the OPCW is already in Syria.

A second is expected today or tomorrow.

But we need to go further.

In a letter to the Council two days ago I expressed “my deep disappointment that the Security Council was unable to agree upon a dedicated mechanism to attribute responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria”, following the end of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM.

I want to repeat today that the norms against chemical weapons must be upheld.

As I wrote in the same letter:

“Ensuring accountability for a confirmed use of chemical weapons is our responsibility, not least to the victims of such attacks.

A lack of accountability emboldens those who would use such weapons by providing them with the reassurance of impunity. This in turn further weakens the norm proscribing the use of chemical weapons and the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture as a whole.

I urge all Member States to act responsibly in these dangerous circumstances.

I appeal to the Security Council to fulfil its duties and not give up on efforts to agree upon a dedicated, impartial, objective and independent mechanism for attributing responsibility with regard to the use of chemical weapons. I stand ready to support such efforts.”

Increasing tensions and the inability to reach a compromise in the establishment of an accountability mechanism threaten to lead to a full-blown military escalation.

In my contacts with you — especially with the Permanent Members of the Security Council — I have been reiterating my deep concerns about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiralling out of control.

Mr. President,

This is exactly the risk we face today – that things spiral out of control.

It is our common duty to stop it.

Thank you.

Secretary-General’s statement on the situation in Gaza

In light of the tragic events of the “Great Return March” last Friday, I reiterate my call on all concerned to refrain from any act that could lead to further violence or place civilians in harm's way, especially children.

I call upon all parties on the ground to avoid confrontation and exercise maximum restraint. I particularly urge Israel to exercise extreme caution with the use of force in order to avoid casualties. Civilians must be able to exercise their right to demonstrate peacefully.

I again stress the urgency to accelerate efforts to return to meaningful negotiations that will eventually allow Palestinians and Israelis to live in two democratic states side by side in peace and within secure and recognized borders. I reaffirm the United Nations’ readiness to support these efforts.

New York, 5 April 2018

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

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the clashes at the Gaza fence today between Palestinians participating in the “Great Return March” and Israeli Security Forces, which resulted in at least fifteen deaths and a large number of injured. His thoughts are with the families of the victims.

The Secretary-General calls for an independent and transparent investigation into these incidents.

He also appeals to those concerned to refrain from any act that could lead to further casualties and in particular any measures that could place civilians in harm's way.

This tragedy underlines the urgency of revitalizing the peace process aiming at creating the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations for a peaceful solution that will allow Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side peacefully and in security. The Secretary-General reaffirms the readiness of the United Nations to support these efforts.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 30 March 2018