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29 December 2023, New York

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the Middle East

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

As the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other groups in Gaza intensify, the Secretary-General remains gravely concerned about the further spillover of this conflict, which could have devastating consequences for the entire region.

There is a continued risk of wider regional conflagration, the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, given the risk of escalation and miscalculation by multiple actors.

The escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, including intensified Israeli security forces operations, high numbers of fatalities, settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, is extremely alarming.

The daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line risk triggering a broader escalation between Israel and Lebanon and affecting regional stability.

The Secretary-General is increasingly concerned about the spillover effects of the continuing attacks by armed groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Houthi attacks against vessels in the Red Sea, which have escalated in recent days.

The Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions in the region.

The Secretary-General again appeals to all members of the international community to do everything in their power to use their influence on the relevant parties to prevent an escalation of the situation in the region.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on the Middle East | United Nations Secretary-General

22 December 2023, New York

Mr. James Eugene McGoldrick of Ireland - Ad Interim Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of James Eugene McGoldrick of Ireland as his new Ad Interim Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). Mr. McGoldrick will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim. He succeeds Lynn Hastings of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and service.

Mr. McGoldrick brings extensive experience in humanitarian affairs, international cooperation, economic development, and political affairs. He previously served as the Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in UNSCO, between 2018 and 2020. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. McGoldrick was the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Yemen. He also worked with the International Red Cross movement and non-governmental organizations in a number of countries in Africa.

Mr. McGoldrick holds a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Glasgow Caledonian University. He also attained qualifications in disaster management, preventive diplomacy and mediation.

22 December 2023, New York

Secretary-General's press conference - on the situation in the Middle East

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the media.

Over the last weeks and days, there has been no significant change in the way the war has been unfolding in Gaza.

There is no effective protection of civilians.

Intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations continue. More than 20,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, the vast majority women and children.

Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian factions continue to fire rockets from Gaza into Israel.

Some 1.9 million people – 85 percent of Gaza’s population – have been forced from their homes.

The health system is on its knees. Hospitals in the south are dealing with at least three times their capacity. In the north, they are barely operational.

One colleague described the deathly silence of a hospital with no medication or treatment for its sick and injured patients.

According to the World Food Programme, widespread famine looms.

More than half a million people – a quarter of the population – are facing what experts classify as catastrophic levels of hunger.

Four out of five of the hungriest people anywhere in the world are in Gaza.

And clean water is at a trickle.

UNICEF found that displaced children in the south have access to just ten percent of the water they need.

In these desperate conditions, it is little wonder that many people cannot wait for humanitarian distributions and are grabbing whatever they can from aid trucks.

As I warned, public order is at risk of breaking down.

Humanitarian veterans who have served in war zones and disasters around the world – people who have seen everything – tell me they have seen nothing like what they see today in Gaza.

Israel began its military operation in response to the horrific terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October. Nothing can possibly justify those attacks, or the brutal abduction of some 250 hostages. I repeat my call for all remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.

And nothing can justify the continued firing of rockets from Gaza at civilian targets in Israel, or the use of civilians as human shields.

But at the same time, these violations of international humanitarian law can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, and they do not free Israel from its own legal obligations under International Law.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press,

Many people are measuring the effectiveness of the humanitarian operation in Gaza based on the number of trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, the UN and our partners that are allowed to unload aid across the border.

This is a mistake.

The real problem is that the way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza.

An effective aid operation in Gaza requires security; staff who can work in safety; logistical capacity; and the resumption of commercial activity.

These four elements do not exist.

First, security.

We are providing aid in a war zone.

The intense Israeli bombardment and active combat in densely populated urban areas throughout Gaza threaten the lives of civilians and humanitarian aid workers alike.

We waited 71 days for Israel finally to allow aid to enter Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The crossing was then hit while aid trucks were in the area.

Second, the humanitarian operation requires staff who can live and work in safety.

136 of our colleagues in Gaza have been killed in 75 days – something we have never seen in the history of the United Nations.

Nowhere is safe in Gaza.

I honour the women and men who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and I pay tribute to the thousands of humanitarian aid workers who are risking their health and lives in Gaza, even as I speak.

Most of our staff have been forced from their homes. All of them spend hours each day simply struggling to survive and support their families.

It is a miracle that they have been able to continue working under these conditions.

And yet, those same colleagues are expanding humanitarian operations in southern Gaza to support people living there, while trying to assist the flood of displaced people who arrived from the north – with nothing.

They are currently providing aid in Rafah, western Khan Younis, Deir El Balah and Nuseirat in the south, and doing their best to reach the north despite huge challenges, namely security.

In these appalling conditions, they can only meet a fraction of the needs.

Third, logistics.

Every truck that arrives at Kerem Shalom and Rafah must be unloaded, and its cargo re-loaded for distribution across Gaza. We ourselves have a limited and insufficient number of trucks available for this.

Many of our vehicles and trucks were destroyed or left behind following our forced, hurried evacuation from the north, but the Israeli authorities have not allowed any additional trucks to operate in Gaza. This is massively hampering the aid operation.

Delivering in the north is extremely dangerous due to active conflict, unexploded ordnance, and heavily damaged roads.

Everywhere, frequent communications blackouts make it virtually impossible to coordinate the distribution of aid, and to let people know how to access it.

Fourth and finally, the resumption of commercial activities is essential.

Shelves are empty; wallets are empty; stomachs are empty. Just one bakery is operating in the whole of Gaza.

I urge the Israeli authorities to lift restrictions on commercial activity immediately.

We are ready to scale up our cash grant support to vulnerable families – the most effective form of humanitarian aid. But in Gaza, there is very little to buy.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

In the circumstances I have just described, a humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to begin to meet the desperate needs of people in Gaza and end their ongoing nightmare.

I hope that today’s Security Council Resolution may help this finally to happen but much more is needed immediately.

Looking at the longer-term, I am extremely disappointed by comments from senior Israeli officials that put the two-state solution into question.

As difficult as it might appear today, the two-state solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, is the only path to sustainable peace.

Any suggestion otherwise denies human rights, dignity and hope to the Palestinian people, fueling rage that reverberates far beyond Gaza.

It also denies a safe future for Israel.

The spillover is already happening.

The occupied West Bank is at boiling point.

Daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel pose a grave risk to regional stability.

Attacks and threats to shipping on the Red Sea by the Houthis in Yemen are impacting shipping with the potential to affect global supply chains.

Beyond the immediate region, the conflict is polarizing communities, feeding hate speech and fueling extremism.

All this poses a significant and growing threat to global peace and security.

As the conflict intensifies and the horror grows, we will continue to do our part.

We will not give up.

But at the same time, it is imperative that the international community speak with one voice: for peace, for the protection of civilians, for an end to suffering, and for a commitment to the two-state solution – backed with action.

Thank you.

Spokesperson: Thank you. Anade, Al Jazeera.

Question: Thank you very much, Secretary-General, Anade Situma, Al Jazeera English. On behalf of the UN Correspondence Association, thank you very much for this briefing. My question to you, it's been over two weeks since you invoked Article 99, and up until this point, until today, the Security Council has failed to act, and we haven't seen a resolution until the resolution we just saw passed. This resolution calls for increase to aid, but it does not join your call for a ceasefire. When you invoked Article 99, were you hoping for more urgency on the part of the Security Council and perhaps even for them to join your call for a ceasefire?

Secretary-General: Of course, I was hopeful. That doesn't mean that things happen according to our hopes. But in any case today, you can see, always, a glass as half full or half empty. I hope that today's resolution will make people understand that a humanitarian ceasefire is indeed something that is needed if we want humanitarian aid to be effectively delivered.

Spokesperson: Linda, then Joe.

Question: Secretary-General, on behalf of NPR, I was just wondering, the resolution calls for both sides to allow unhindered safe delivery of aid. We know the status, more or less, about Israel's role. I was wondering on the other side in terms of Hamas, how significant is Hamas' control or not allowing access to aid to the people?

Secretary-General: Well, we have condemned all violations of International Humanitarian Law. Violations by Hamas in relation to civilian shields or in relation to the rockets sent to Israel. And the violations done by Israel through these relentless bombardments and the fact that we are having a toll of civilians that is totally unprecedented in all conflicts I've seen until now. So obviously, that is why a ceasefire is needed, to stop all obstacles coming from wherever they come - A humanitarian ceasefire.

Question: But I'm sorry, again, but just how significant is Hamas’ denial of access to aid? I mean, is it minor? Or is it, you know, a medium amount?

Secretary-General: I think it is one of the contributions that needs to be taken into account.

Spokesperson: Joe and then…

Secretary-General: But it's obviously not the major factor when we look at the situation today in Gaza?

Question: Yeah, it’s Joseph Klein of Canada Free Press. First, I want to wish you and your family a very happy holiday.

Secretary-General: Happy holiday too.

Question: Thank you. My question also involves Hamas. Do you realistically think that a viable, sustainable, two-state solution is possible as long as Hamas exists, with their threats to repeat October 7th over and over again? And what is your comment on the fact that Israel has offered, I believe it is, at least a seven-day pause to allow the release of more hostages and more aid to come into Gaza? But Hamas has flatly turned that down. They're demanding a complete permanent ceasefire.
Thank you.

Secretary-General: First of all, I do believe that we need a humanitarian ceasefire, that has been what I believe it is needed. But of course, we are favourable to any pause that can lead to improvement in humanitarian aid and to the exchange of prisoners. And we know that negotiations are taking place. I've been actively in contact with Qatar, with Egypt, and with others. And I hope that these negotiations will be able to lead to new opportunities for the release of hostages, but our position in relation to the release of hostages is very clear. We believe that there must be an immediate and unconditional release of hostages.
Your first question was…?

Question: Yeah. Well, my first question, they kind of relate to each other. The first question was whether you believe…?

Secretary-General: Ah, yes.

Question: Realistically that there could be a two-state solution as long as Hamas exists. And then responding to the second question, I specifically would be interested in knowing your comment on Hamas' refusal to accept even a seven-day pause. They want all or nothing.

Secretary-General: I mean, both sides, apparently, want all or nothing. And that is why we do not manage to have an agreement. I think it's important to have a spirit of compromise. But the first question is very important. We believe that the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Authority. And what we want to see is the creation of conditions that will allow the Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza and that is, in our opinion, the solution to allow for the two-state solution to become a reality.

Spokesperson: Denis, then Dezhi, then we’ll close it.

Question: Denis Akishev, TASS News Agency. Turning back from Gaza. What is the current situation with the Grain Deal? And do you plan to communicate with Russian officials or maybe with Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Secretary-General: Sorry the…?

Spokesperson: The Grain Deal.

Secretary-General: We have been in contact with both sides, trying to explore new forms that -I don't think the repetition of the Grain Deal would make sense- but I'm a strong believer that it would be very interesting if we would be able to have conditions for freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

Spokesperson: And last question. Dezhi?

Question: Sir?

Spokesperson: No, sorry. Dezhi last question.

Question: Secretary-General, Dezhi Xu with China Central Television. Let me ask you a broader picture question. It seems like in 2023, it seems very chaotic. We have two conflicts going on. We have SDGs even driving away further and the United Nations and you yourself has been put into a huge pressure. Where's the silver lining? What kind of hope do you see for 2024?

Secretary-General: Well, we have, in the UN, a very important process taking place, The Summit of the Future. And in The Summit of The Future, I hope it will be possible for us to agree on a new agenda for peace with a moralistic approach to prevention. We had, yesterday, a very important victory in the Security Council. After many years in which I'm fighting for the need to have peace-enforcing operations done by our African partners of the African Union, with mandates by the Security Council and assessed contributions, it was possible to have a resolution of the Security Council that creates the possibility of funding at 75 per cent. It was one of the key elements of the Agenda for Peace, but there are many others. On the other hand, we have already… we will be publishing, I believe today, the report of our High-level panel on Artificial Intelligence. And I hope it will be possible to have some form of networked governance of artificial intelligence with flexibility, of course, taking into account different situations around the world, but that will create more opportunities for artificial intelligence to be a force for good and minimize the risks of artificial intelligence. And I hope to see the UN in the centre of that effort.

We have, simultaneously, a number of other very important questions on the table, in which member states will be able to take decisions in relation to participation of youth and future generations in decision-making, in relation to the reform of the International Financial System, reform of the Security Council. So, I see that, independently of the crises that are happening, I see that there is a dynamic effort within the UN to look seriously into the need to reform multilateralism and to make multilateralism stronger and more effective in a world that is becoming multipolar - but multipolarity will not guarantee peace, if there is not the stressing of multilateral governance institutions. So, I'm very optimistic about the work that can be done within the UN, knowing that some of these crises that you mentioned will be very difficult to overcome.

Spokesperson: Thank you very much.

Secretary-General: Thank you.

Question: Thank you.

2023 has been another very difficult year for Syria. A year that saw devastating earthquakes, humanitarian needs reaching new highs, the economy plummeting to new lows, and the worst violence in three years. The year also saw new diplomatic openings, but did not lead to tangible changes on the ground for the lives of Syrians

TOR WENNESLAND

SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

BRIEFING TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, REPORTING ON UNSCR 2334 (2016)

19 December 2023

(As delivered)

Mister President,

Members of the Security Council,

I am devoting my regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East to the twenty-eighth report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016). The Secretary-General’s written report covers the period between 19 September and 7 December 2023.

As the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages on, 2023 ends as one of the deadliest in the history of this conflict, with the situation deteriorating on nearly all fronts.

Mister President,

Since the end of the written reporting period, hostilities have continued inside Gaza as Israeli forces advanced further into Khan Younis in the southern part of the Strip and intensified operations in reported Hamas strongholds in the north, in Jabaliya refugee camp and Shujaiya neighborhood, as well as at the Kamal Adwan hospital. Intensive Israeli airstrikes continued across the Strip.

Over a thousand more fatalities – overwhelmingly Palestinian - have taken place. The toll on civilians, including women and children, remains unbearable.

With more than one hundred Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, the Israeli Army announced it had retrieved the bodies of three hostages, two from a tunnel in the Jabaliya refugee camp and one woman. On 15 December, the IDF said that Israeli soldiers had mistakenly shot and killed three hostages in Shujaiya.

Hamas and other militant factions have also continued to indiscriminately fire rockets at areas in southern and central Israel, including a barrage aimed at Jerusalem on 15 December.

The delivery of humanitarian aid in the Strip continues to face nearly insurmountable challenges. Amid displacement of an unimaginable scale and active hostilities, the humanitarian response system is on the brink. Limited steps by Israel, including allowing entry of more fuel, food and cooking gas, and opening Kerem Shalom/Karem abu Salem for the entry of humanitarian supplies, are positive, but fall far short of what is needed to address the human catastrophe on the ground.

The northern part of the Strip remains mostly inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity, as well as access restrictions imposed by Israel.

Mr. President,

In our focus on Gaza, let us not forget that our attention during the first nine months of the year was on a West Bank in crisis, with mounting pressures from settlement activity – which I note more than doubled to a reach a new annual record since 2017 - settler violence, increased Palestinian armed attacks, Israeli security forces operations, a rapidly deteriorating fiscal and economic situation, and a Palestinian Authority struggling to face these challenges. Most of these trends have continued and intensified.

On 8 December, Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, including a 14-year-old child and a local commander in the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, during an operation in Al Far’a Refugee Camp, which led to exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians.

Over 12-14 and 16-17 December, two large-scale Israeli operations took place in Jenin refugee camp and in Tulkarem, respectively. The operations included exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians, Israeli drone strikes, and search operations. In Tulkarem there was extensive infrastructure damage from IDF bulldozers. Seventeen Palestinians were killed and dozens were arrested.

The Palestinian Authority’s fiscal situation continues to be extremely precarious amidst broader economic concerns across the West Bank. Some 150,000 Palestinian workers have been unable to reach their jobs since Israel imposed strict entry restrictions following the 7 October attacks.

Mister President,

I remain concerned about the wider impacts of the war in Gaza and the risk for escalation in the region.

Daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line have continued with the risk of miscalculation and escalation posing a grave threat to regional stability. It is imperative that Lebanon not be dragged into a regional conflagration and that the parties return to a cessation of hostilities under the framework of resolution 1701 (2006).

Meanwhile, in the Red Sea, the Houthis in Yemen have targeted numerous vessels by boarding parties, as well as by armed drones and missiles. Strikes have damaged a number of ships, with others interdicted by U.S. and other naval forces in the area, raising concerns over the safety of shipping through this vital trade artery. Four major shipping companies have reportedly directed their vessels not to transit through the Red Sea; while Israel’s Eilat port has reported an 80 per cent drop in revenues since attacks began.

Mister President,

I will now turn to several observations regarding the implementation of the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) during the reporting period.

The violence that has been taking place since 7 October in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory - particularly in and around Gaza, has shaken the region, and most tragically, the lives of millions of Palestinians and Israelis.

I strongly condemn the abhorrent armed attacks by Hamas and others in Israel. Nothing can justify the acts of terror that were committed and the deliberate killing, maiming and abduction of civilians and other protected persons. Accounts of the attacks reveal acts of brutality that are impossible to accept or comprehend. I am appalled by the reports of sexual violence during the attacks; these must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.

The indiscriminate firing of rockets towards Israeli population centers, which continues to this day, is a violation of international humanitarian law and must cease completely.

I welcome the release of 110 Israeli and foreign hostages and reiterate that all remaining hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released, in line with UNSCR 2712.

The magnitude of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and the scope of death and destruction in Gaza have been unprecedented and unbearable to witness. I unequivocally condemn the killing of civilians in Gaza –including women and children. I mourn the loss of every civilian, including 131 United Nations colleagues, the single largest loss of life in the history of the organization.

I remain gravely concerned by the impact of the ongoing hostilities on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The current conditions are making it impossible for meaningful humanitarian operations to be conducted.

I am also deeply concerned by escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Intensified armed exchanges between Palestinians and Israeli security forces, predominantly in the context of Israeli operations, have led to exceedingly high levels of fatalities and arrests. I reiterate that security forces must exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life.

I am alarmed by the lethal attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and by Palestinians against Israelis in the occupied West Bank and Israel. All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice.

I am appalled at the numerous instances of officials glorifying violence and encouraging the killing of civilians. Such rhetoric is abhorrent and must be clearly rejected by leaders on all sides. Leaders have an obligation to clearly and explicitly condemn acts of terror and violence directed against civilians.

I remain deeply troubled by the relentless expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, that is impeding access by Palestinians to their land and resources, and threatening the viability of a future independent Palestinian State. I reiterate that Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law and call on the Government of Israel to cease the advancement of all settlement activity immediately.

Mr. President,

This war has, once again, served as a devastating and tragic reminder that there is no substitute for a legitimate political process that will resolve the core issues driving the conflict. It is critical at this important junction to enable the parties to re-engage on the long-delayed political path to a two-State solution. I urge Israelis, Palestinians, the States of the region and the broader international community to work together towards this goal. The UN efforts to support this objective has already begun through active consultations in the region. Our work must continue.

The United Nations remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in ending the occupation and resolving the conflict in line with international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and bilateral agreements in pursuit of two States – Israel and an independent, democratic, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part – living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

[END]