The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question - Security Council, 10007th meeting

Settlement expansion, Gaza offensive undermining two-State solution, warns Deputy Special Coordinator in briefing to Security Council.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 02:29:31
• Production Date: 29 September 2025
• Asset Language: Arabic; English; French; Russian; Spanish; Chinese; Original
• Personal Subject: RAMIZ ALAKBAROV
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS - UNSCO
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; INTERNATIONAL LAW; MIDDLE EAST SITUATION; PEACE AND SECURITY; PEACE PROCESS; TERRORISM; FOOD SECURITY; PALESTINE QUESTION; TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL; TWO-STATE SOLUTION
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST; PALESTINE; GAZA; WEST BANK
• MAMS Id: 3458137
• Parent Id: 3455979
• Alternate Title: MTG SC 10007 MIDDLE EAST PALESTINE 29 SEP 2025 AM

Description

In the shadow of the nearly two-year war in Gaza and an intensifying ground offensive in Gaza City, settlement construction has accelerated and settler violence continues in the West Bank, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as delegates warned that such defiance of international law and United Nations resolutions further undermine the prospects for peace and the two-State solution.

Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, reported that, despite the mandate of Council resolution 2334 (2016), which calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, “settlement has nevertheless accelerated”.

He reported that, during the period from 18 June to 19 September, the Israeli planning authorities advanced or approved approximately 20,810 housing units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Moreover, on 2 July, 15 Israeli ministers and the speaker of the Knesset signed a petition calling for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, and on 23 July, the Knesset adopted a non-binding motion calling for the ‘application of Israeli sovereignty’ across all settlements in the West Bank.

“The Government of Israel must abide by its obligations under international law,” he stressed, recalling the 19 July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which declared that Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, evacuate all settlers and bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.

• Briefer: Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator

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S/PV.10007