STATEMENT
BY
H.E. DR. MICHAEL IMRAN KANU
AMBASSADOR & PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Thank you, Mr. President, Excellency Mr. Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.
On 24 October, just 5 days ago, the United Nations commemorated 79 years of its establishment, with the primary purpose of upholding international peace and security and avoiding another major war.
The situation in the Middle East is, however, deeply troubling. The ongoing illegal occupation of the State of Palestine by the State of Israel, compounded by the escalation following the 7th October 2023, has exacerbated tensions.
The acts of aggressive by Israel in Lebanon, and the incessant Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel, the attacks on UN peacekeepers; retaliatory strikes involving Iran and Israel; and assaults by and retaliatory strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, further complicate this already volatile landscape. These events challenge the very raison d’être of the United Nations, our understanding of the safeguards provided by international law and the values we profess to uphold.
UNWRA, a United Nations entity, is targeted by, inter alia, by a hostile legislation. We agree with the view of the UN Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Guterres that the law adopted by the Knesset of Israel banning UNRWA in Israel “could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees.”
As we approached this debate, over a year since recent escalation, it is essential to acknowledge the grim realities presented by our briefer. I thank Mr. Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, for their sobering and comprehensive briefing.
Mr. President,
Over 70 years since the “Question of Palestine” was first brought before the United Nations, we still bear the burden of delivering peace in the region by supporting a two-state solution that guarantees the independence of the Palestine people and a safe and secure Israel and Palestine.
After months of meetings and consultations, the United Nations Security Council must fulfill its obligation as the body primarily responsible for maintaining International Peace and Security, and ensure implementation of its resolutions 2712, 2720, 2728 and 2735, to end the horrifying cycle of death and destruction for the people in Gaza and greater Palestine, as well as start the important task of reconstruction and rebuilding of the State of Palestine.
To achieve these very fundamental objectives, we must be bold in our engagements with the parties to the conflict and be unrelenting in demanding they uphold the principles espoused in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the binding orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), particularly provisional measures ordered in the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
Mr. President,
For more than twelve months, we have repeated our unequivocal condemnation of the killing of civilians in Gaza, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Israel. we must emphasize the staggering toll: over 1,300 Israeli civilians have been killed, hostages taken, and over 43,000 civilians in Gaza killed, with many more injured. This cannot be normalized.
We have witnessed, regrettably collective punishment, intentional targeting of civilians, denial of humanitarian aid, and the tragic killing of humanitarian workers. The attacks on UN peacekeepers and the use of civilians as human shields are further violations that cannot go unaddressed. Such actions violate the core tenets of international humanitarian law.
We have denounced the multiple displacements of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, the latest being the attack at Kamal Adwan hospital in Northern Gaza over the weekend.
Every day, statistics provided by OCHA, UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations point to serious violations of international humanitarian law and resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly.
While we note the complexity and deep-rooted nature of this conflict, we are of the view that achieving lasting peace and stability in the region will require adherence by parties to the conflict to international law, including international humanitarian law and other moral and political imperatives.
With an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, intensified military operations and tens of thousands of civilian fatalities, Sierra Leone again calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the entire region and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
A ceasefire is the most practical way to move the process of engagement forward, especially the resuscitated engagements by the United States, Qatar and Egypt supported by resolution 2735, and establish the conditions conducive for the foundations of lasting peace. A ceasefire will allow for unhindered supply of essential medical assistance and other humanitarian support, facilitate negotiations and diplomatic efforts to address the underlying issues, and pave the way for post-conflict reconstruction. Without a ceasefire, this cruel cycle of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, repeated evacuation orders, displacement and humanitarian restrictions will continue.
An immediate ceasefire will rescue the 1.8 million people across the Gaza Strip experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity classified as IPC Phase 3, including 133,000 people facing catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) and an estimated 60,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children as young as 6 months old from starvation and death as outlined in the recent IPC Global Initiative -Special Snapshot. It will also protect the humanitarian personnel serving under difficult circumstances with their safety and wellbeing under continuous threat.
At this stage, we are already confronted with this conflict extending from Gaza and the West Bank to multiple fronts in other States, including across the blue line in Lebanon, the Red Sea and exchanges across Iraq and Syria.
Mr. President,
As has already been emphasized by the briefer and other Council members, swift and bold political will and good faith efforts are required by all parties to the conflict in Gaza and other parts of the region to bring an end to the fighting and ongoing destruction.
This is my delegation’s ultimate request in today’s quarterly debate, and we stand ready to support all efforts initiated by this Council to secure the freedom of the Israeli hostages, and to actualize the long-awaited desire of the civilian population in Gaza and the Occupied Palestine Territory, as well as in Israel, for genuine independence and peaceful coexistence.
I thank you.
