UN / MIDDLE EAST GAZA

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, told the Security Council, “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,” urging “Israelis, Palestinians, the States of the region and the broader international community to work together towards this goal.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:56
• Production Date: 19 December 2023
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANIZATION - UNTSO
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS; PALESTINE; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: GAZA; ISRAEL; WEST BANK
• MAMS Id: 3159279
• Parent Id: 3159279
• Alternate Title: unifeed231219a

Description

STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST GAZA
TRT: 3:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 19 DECEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

19 DECEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3.SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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’s efforts to support this objective has already begun through active consultations in the region. Our work must continue.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5.SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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).”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“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.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization:
“Since UNTSO does not have a presence in or around Gaza or southern Israel, UNTSO personnel were not in a position to observe directly the events on 07 October or developments since. But those events have assuredly impacted our operations and regional dynamics.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization:
“They continue to fulfill the critical role of assuring accurate military observation, investigation of ceasefire violations, inspections on the Golan, and reporting to enable liaison with the parties, including for the purpose of de-escalating tensions.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council

Storyline

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said, “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,” urging “Israelis, Palestinians, the States of the region and the broader international community to work together towards this goal.”

The Special Coordinator today (19 Dec) devoted his 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.

He told Council Members that 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.

Wennesland remained 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.

He reiterated, “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).”

Wennesland also “strongly” condemned “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.”

He added, “Accounts of the attacks reveal acts of brutality that are impossible to accept or comprehend.”

The Special Coordinator was “appalled by the reports of sexual violence during the attacks,” reiterating that “these must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”

Wennesland also said, “The magnitude of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and the scope of death and destruction in Gaza have been unprecedented and unbearable to witness.”

He unequivocally condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza –including women and children. He mourned the loss of every civilian, including 131 United Nations colleagues, “the single largest loss of life in the history of the organization.”

The Special Coordinator is also “deeply concerned” by escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

He said, “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.”

Wennesland also highlighted that he is “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,” he said.

Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization also spoke to the Council.

He said, “Since UNTSO does not have a presence in or around Gaza or southern Israel, UNTSO personnel were not in a position to observe directly the events on 07 October or developments since. But those events have assuredly impacted our operations and regional dynamics.”

On the operational level, from 08 October many ceasefire violations have occurred across the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon and on the Golan between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic, the head of UNTSO informed the Council.

UNTSO’s Military Observers, who constitute Observer Group Lebanon (OGL) and Observer Group Golan (OGG) under the operational control of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) respectively, took appropriate and adapted security measures, he added.

Major General Gauchat also said, “They continue to fulfill the critical role of assuring accurate military observation, investigation of ceasefire violations, inspections on the Golan, and reporting to enable liaison with the parties, including for the purpose of de-escalating tensions.”

On May 29, 1948, the Security Council called for a cessation of hostilities in Palestine, under resolution 50. This truce was to be supervised by a UN mediator, assisted by a group of military observers, that would become known as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, the first peacekeeping mission in the history of the United Nations.

In 1949 with the signing of the four armistice agreements - one between Israel and each of its Arab neighbors: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic - the Council declared the role of the mediator complete and transferred the role of supervising the implementation of the Armistice Agreements to the Chief of Staff UNTSO. In addition, UNTSO was also tasked with assisting the Parties in their application and observance, until the peaceful adjustment of the future situation of Palestine.