Much more must be done to prevent and prosecute acts of violence in the West Bank: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Palestine.
The United Kingdom is clear that the only credible path to lasting peace and security remains a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state made up of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Three priorities to advance progress towards that goal.
First, in Gaza.
The United Kingdom welcomes the recent focus on implementing Security Council Resolution 2803 and wants to see it implemented in full.
That means all parties delivering on their commitments, including: respect for the ceasefire; Hamas fulfilling its decommissioning commitments; the phased withdrawal of the Israel Defence Forces as set out in the 20-point plan and the Roadmap for Phase Two; and the transition of governance and security control to the Palestinian Authority.
We encourage the Palestinian Authority to continue implementing reforms needed to fulfil that role.
We thank the US, Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt for their tireless efforts to progress these negotiations.
The United Kingdom will continue to work with all our partners to end the conflict in Gaza, and the terror threat from Hamas.
As Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, “conditions for the people of Gaza remain appalling.”
Israeli authorities must end unacceptable restrictions on aid and enable safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza.
Second, addressing violence in the West Bank.
The United Kingdom condemns escalating violence across the West Bank.
In July alone, thirteen Palestinians and two Israelis were killed.
Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, in some cases alongside Israeli Defense Force personnel, are appalling.
These are not isolated incidents.
OCHA’s July report records more than 1,300 settler-related incidents, affecting over 250 Palestinian communities.
Around 900 Palestinians injured, and more than 3,200 displaced, and at least three Israelis have been killed and 24 injured this year.
Children are among those most affected by conflict.
They are being exposed to repeated violence, displacement, and disruption due to movement restrictions and military operations.
On 4 August, Israeli forces demolished three donor-funded classrooms at Sha’ab al Butum School, just weeks before the start of the school year.
We call on the Government of Israel to fulfil their obligations to protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territory.
We welcome recent arrests and indictments by Israeli authorities of perpetrators of settler violence.
But perpetrators have acted with impunity for too long.
And much more must be done to prevent and prosecute acts of violence.
Israeli authorities’ security measures must be proportionate, consistent with international law, and contribute to de-escalation.
Third, halting the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Settlements are illegal under international law.
They undermine the viability of a two-state solution, and they fuel insecurity for both Palestinians and Israelis.
The Government of Israel has approved 104 settlements in four years, an increase of 80%, and allocated unprecedented funding to the construction of new settlements.
The United Kingdom condemns threats to expand illegal settlements and outposts and opposes the decision to reintroduce the E1 settlement plan, which aims to cut the West Bank in half.
We are alarmed by recent mass incursions at the Haram al Sharif / Temple Mount.
The Status Quo on Jerusalem’s holy sites must be respected.
Madame President, in the past weeks we have seen renewed efforts to implement Resolution 2803, which offers the most viable pathway towards lasting peace.
The deteriorating trajectory in the West Bank must not undermine that hard-won progress.