Israel must ensure that humanitarian workers can operate safely: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
We too wish to extend our congratulations to Tom Fletcher on his appointment as the Emergency Relief Coordinator and again to pay tribute to Martin Griffiths for his outstanding service and to thank Joyce Msuya for her leadership over this period of transition.
Now more than ever we need strong voices to speak up for the humanitarian community and we look forward to working with Tom Fletcher and his team.
President, this week marked a sobering milestone. We are now one year on from the events of 7 October 2023 and Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack against Israel; the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. As my Prime Minister has said, we honour those lost and continue in our determination to ensure the return of those still held hostage.
Sadly, the anguish did not end on the 7th of October. Each and every day since then, we have seen civilians suffer on a dreadful scale.
We call upon Hamas and Israel to agree a ceasefire deal which would see the release of the hostages, more aid entering Gaza, and an opportunity to begin the work of reconstruction and progress towards a Palestinian state. We also call upon Hamas to stop endangering civilians.
With the conflict now having spread into Lebanon, we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanese Hizbollah and Israel, and for diplomacy to take the place of violence.
President, while we continue to push for regional de-escalation, it is vital that we do not lose sight of the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Almost 42,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian health officials. The majority of critical civilian infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. And civilians live in constant fear of air strikes. More women and children have now been killed this year in Gaza than in any other global conflict in the last two decades.
Despite Israel’s commitment to flood Gaza with aid, the number of humanitarian trucks entering Gaza last month was the lowest we have seen since the start of the year. This is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.
Restrictions imposed by Israel have also led to the significant drops in the flow of commercial goods, and these shortages are driving looting and attacks on aid convoys.
Humanitarian aid is therefore not reaching those who need it most, particularly in northern Gaza, which is at risk of being completely cut off. As winter approaches, it is critical that Israel takes action to change this.
As we have repeatedly said in this Council, Israel must do much more to avoid civilian casualties and ensure the UN and its humanitarian partners can operate safely and effectively.
We are concerned by any efforts to undermine the UN or UNRWA, which plays an indispensable role.
The UK fully supports the Secretary General, UNRWA and the wider UN as they seek to secure peace through diplomacy and help the people of the Middle East. That is why my government restored funding to UNRWA, to support its vital work and to implement the recommendations of the Colonna Report.
President, what the people of Gaza need more than anything is an immediate ceasefire. We urge Israel and Hamas to return to the table and secure a deal which would achieve this.
As my Prime Minister has said, the United Kingdom will not falter in our pursuit of peace and our determination to secure a better future for the region.