Statement by Ambassador Amar Bendjama at UNSC on the situation in Palestine
Mr. President,
At the outset, I express my gratitude to Mr. Tor Wennesland for his briefing and reaffirm Algeria's commitment and unwavering support for him.
I would like to begin my statement by reaffirming Algeria's steadfast support for the UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, in the face of the smearing campaigns targeting him.
Efforts to conceal the truth will never prevail, as the global public opinion is fully cognizant of the ongoing realities.
History will not be forgiving towards the occupying power in Palestine.
Mr. President,
As the meetings progress and the briefings echo similar themes, it is painfully clear that the Palestinian people still enduring an ever-intensifying plight under the Israeli occupation.
For more than 75 years, each passing day, even each hour, witnesses an escalation in their suffering as the occupation expands its reach, its violence, and its crimes.
The latest aggression against Gaza marks yet another chapter in a long history of blatant and systematic violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.
This brutal military campaign aims to erode the prospects of establishing a viable Palestinian State, rendering the hope for such a State nearly impossible to attain.
The cruel onslaught in Gaza has unleashed a killing that targets anyone daring to move beyond the confines of oppression.
The toll is staggering, with over 32,000 lives lost in Gaza.
Additionally, more than 74,000 individuals, women, children, and men have been left maimed. 12 thousand of them were disabled.
Shockingly, the number of children killed in Gaza surpasses the total count of children lost in all global conflicts over the past four years.
This is an assault on children.
This is an assault on innocence.
This is an assault on the very future and existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland.
The crimes perpetrated by the occupation forces have breached all imaginable boundaries of decency.
The resolution 2728 that we have adopted yesterday must be fully implemented.
The UN Charter is clear, Security Council resolutions are biding.
Not almost, not partly nor maybe.
International Peace and Security are highly serious matters to be addressed lightly.
If not, the very existence of this body, the Security Council, is put to question.
Mr. President,
The killing must stop now.
Urgent action is imperative to expedite humanitarian relief efforts before the specter of famine materializes, as predicted by the latest IPC report, forecasting famine by this month of May.
In this regard, we condemn the decision of the occupying power to not allow UNRWA convoys to enter the North of Gaza.
This is a war by starvation.
And we have the tool to avoid this catastrophe
It is UNRWA who is the Backbone of the humanitarian action in Gaza.
UNRWA is irreplaceable.
Mr. President,
Amidst this grim reality and the world's focus on the unfolding crisis in Gaza, the occupying power have boldly sanctioned the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories.
Despite the international consensus on their illegality, these settlements continue to burgeon monthly, while the Security Council struggles to enforce the implementation of Resolution 2334. A Resolution voted eight years ago.
This resolution clearly denounces these settlements as a blatant violation of international law and a significant impediment to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The settlers’ community has quadrupled since the nineties, reaching more than 950 thousand.
Indeed, it is legitimate now to question the fate of these newcomers to Palestinian territory and how the envisioned Palestinian state will take shape amidst the ongoing settlement expansions and demographic modification.
This expansionist agenda is a clear blueprint aimed at altering the demographic landscape and character of the occupied territory.
This unlawful presence has ushered in a new era characterized by escalating settler terror violence, which the occupation authorities are complicit in arming, in flagrant violation of Resolution 904.
Palestinians in the West Bank and also in Alquds Sharif live in constant fear, unable to safeguard themselves and their properties from settler gangs shielded by the occupation forces.
The year 2023, even prior to October 7, marked the most violent and bloodiest period for Palestinians since the Second Intifada.
The Security Council must urgently explore avenues to ensure the full implementation of Resolution 2334 before the vision of Palestinian statehood is shattered by the steadfast grip of settlers and settlements.
In conclusion Mr. President,
We reiterate our standing support and commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders to safeguard the Palestinian people's rights and enable them to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination and to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Thank you.