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8532nd Security Council Meeting: Situation in the Middle East; Palestinian Question
Israel, United States Question UNRWA’s Neutrality, Value, as Many Delegates Stress Its Critical Role in Providing Vital Services
With the recent flare-up of violence in Gaza as the central topic of discussion in the Security Council today, members also considered the funding shortage affecting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The Council heard briefings from the Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process and the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, with the former describing the violence as the most intense fighting since 2014 between Israeli forces and militants belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Recalling that thousands of Palestinians participated recently in the weekly demonstrations at the Gaza perimeter fence, the Special Coordinator said that over the following 48 hours, 650 rockets fired from Gaza killed four Israeli civilians. The Israeli Defense Forces hit more than 300 militant targets in Gaza, reportedly killing 25 Palestinians. Following intense efforts by the United Nations and Egypt, a cessation of hostilities was established on 6 May, ending the escalation, he said, urging all sides to reduce tensions and solidify the fragile calm.
He said that although Gaza continues to command significant attention, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is of growing concern. Israel’s construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal under international law and remains a substantial obstacle to peace, he emphasized. For instance, the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 40 Palestinian structures during the reporting period, displacing 31 people, he noted.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General said that support for the Agency to overcome a “truly existential crisis” has never been as remarkable as it was in 2018, recalling that some 42 countries and institutions increased their contributions to erase an unprecedented deficit of $446 million. “These actions were vital to keeping open the 715 schools that UNRWA runs for over half a million female and male students in the West Bank — including East Jerusalem — Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria,” he added. Support from donors also preserved primary health-care services for millions of patients through UNRWA’s network of 140 clinics.
He went on to report that thousands of young people have been wounded and hundreds killed since March 2018, including 14 boys and girls aged 11 to 16 years who were students in UNRWA schools. “I reiterate here my call for respect for international humanitarian law and my condemnation of the targeting of civilians,” he said. “This includes rocket firing from Gaza that has led to civilian loss of life and injuries in Israel.” Turning to the West Bank, he said Palestine refugees there are confronted with multiple consequences of the ongoing occupation, such as the demolition of homes and evictions.
Council members expressed grave concern about the current situation, with France’s representative denouncing rocket launches from Gaza into Israel as well as the latter’s illegal settlement activity. He warned that the situation is almost at the point of no return, emphasizing the importance of preserving the two-State formula.
Indonesia’ Foreign Minister and Council President for May, spoke in her national capacity, saying the world has seen enough evidence of how protracted conflicts in the Middle East have serious repercussions on peace and stability in many other parts of the world. The Security Council must make real progress, particularly on the Palestinian question, she stressed.
Concerning UNRWA, the representative of the United States said that his country’s Government stopped funding the Agency because its “flawed” business model has failed the Palestinian people. “We did not come to this conclusion lightly,” he said, pointing out that the United States has donated $6 billion to the Agency’s operations since its founding. However, Palestinians were misled year after year and used as political pawns, he added, describing UNRWA’s work as a “Band-Aid”.
Israel’s representative said UNRWA has been political since its inception, noting that no other refugee population enjoys the services of such an agency. Every other refugee in the world falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), he said, adding that the vast majority of UNRWA beneficiaries do not meet the criteria required of other refugees around the world. Meanwhile, 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza who have never crossed an international border — which is required to be considered a refugee — are deemed refugees, he noted. “Why is a Palestinian born in Ramallah and who has lived there his entire life considered a refugee?”
The Deputy Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine rejected attempts to characterize UNRWA as part of the problem, saying the Agency has done extraordinary work to alleviate the plight of millions of Palestine refugees while contributing to regional stability. On the Palestinian question, she said the international consensus on a two-State solution based on the pre-1967 borders remains strong, adding that Israel’s actions stand in sharp contrast to the global consensus. Regrettably, that country’s contempt and intransigence have only been emboldened further by recent decisions by the United States disregarding, contradicting and completely undermining the pillars of that consensus, she said.
Poland’s representative was among many delegates who echoed that view, emphasizing that UNRWA has worked for nearly 70 years to ensure access to quality education — a human right fundamental to helping each child achieve his or her full potential.
Also speaking today were representatives of Kuwait, Germany, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Peru, Belgium, Equatorial Guinea and China.
The meeting began at 10:07 a.m. and ended at 12:45 p.m.
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MEETINGS COVERAGE
