Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / GAZA PALESTINE ISRAEL
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / GAZA PALESTINE ISRAEL
TRT: 04:45
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 JANUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters
12 JANUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“Any persons displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as international law demands. In this context, we are of course deeply alarmed by recent statements by Israeli ministers regarding plans to encourage the mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries, currently being referred to as ‘voluntary relocation.’ These statements raise grave concerns about the possible forcible mass transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, something that would be strictly prohibited, of course, under international law.”
5. Wide shot, Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“While Israel stated that its evacuation orders have been for the safety of Palestinian civilians, it appears that Israel has made scant provision to ensure such relocations comply with international law – in particular ensuring access to appropriate hygiene, health, safety, nutrition and shelter and taking steps to minimise the risk of separation of family members. Such compelled evacuations, failing to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights:
“Incendiary statements by some members of Israel’s leadership pushing for permanent resettlement of Palestinians overseas have entrenched fears that Palestinians are being deliberately forced out of Gaza and will not be able to return. This must not be permitted. Palestinians’ right to return to their homes must be subject to an ironclad guarantee – even if needed humanitarian corridors are opened to allow Palestinians, especially the sick, persons with disabilities, older persons, and pregnant women and children, to flee including to Israel and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israel, as the occupying power, must support their return by restoring essential services and facilitating the necessary reconstruction of Gaza.”
9. Med shot, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the dais
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“Palestinian civilians in Gaza must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. Just this week, while in the region, Secretary Blinken announced that Israel has committed to have the United Nations send an assessment team to the north of Gaza. The United States has also made clear that civilians must not be pressed to leave Gaza under any circumstances. We unequivocally reject statements by some Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. These statements, along with statements by Israeli officials calling for the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees or the destruction of Gaza, are irresponsible, inflammatory, and only make it harder.”
11. Wide shot, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour at the dais
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“Israeli confession or denials are irrelevant. Their actions speak loud enough, and action speaks louder than words. Israel wants the Palestinian people to choose between destruction and displacement. Between genocide and ethnic cleansing. You need to act now to stop the genocide underway, to save lives, to put an end to this carnage and to restore life in Gaza.”
13. Wide shot, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan at the dais
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“There is no forced displacement. As Israel's Prime minister said two days ago, Israel has no intention of displacing the population in Gaza. Israel is solely fighting Hamas terrorists, whose core strategies to use Gazan civilians as human shields, and who have converted every inch of Gaza to a terror war machine.”
15. Wide shot, end of meeting
The United Nations top humanitarian official today (12 Jan) said he was “deeply alarmed by recent statements by Israeli ministers regarding plans to encourage the mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries.”
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said, “any persons displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as international law demands,” and said, “these statements raise grave concerns about the possible forcible mass transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, something that would be strictly prohibited, of course, under international law.”
Echoing his testimony, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris said, “while Israel stated that its evacuation orders have been for the safety of Palestinian civilians, it appears that Israel has made scant provision to ensure such relocations comply with international law – in particular ensuring access to appropriate hygiene, health, safety, nutrition and shelter and taking steps to minimise the risk of separation of family members.”
Such compelled evacuations, she said, “potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime.”
Brands Kehris said, “incendiary statements by some members of Israel’s leadership pushing for permanent resettlement of Palestinians overseas have entrenched fears that Palestinians are being deliberately forced out of Gaza and will not be able to return. This must not be permitted. Palestinians’ right to return to their homes must be subject to an ironclad guarantee.”
United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for her part said, “Palestinian civilians in Gaza must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow.”
Thomas-Greenfield said, “civilians must not be pressed to leave Gaza under any circumstances. We unequivocally reject statements by some Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. These statements, along with statements by Israeli officials calling for the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees or the destruction of Gaza, are irresponsible, inflammatory, and only make it harder.”
Palestine Ambassador Riyad Mansour said, “Israel wants the Palestinian people to choose between destruction and displacement. Between genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
He called on the Security Council “to act now to stop the genocide underway, to save lives, to put an end to this carnage and to restore life in Gaza.”
Israel Ambassador Gilad Erdan meanwhile denied there was forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
Erdan said, “Israel has no intention of displacing the population in Gaza. Israel is solely fighting Hamas terrorists, whose core strategies to use Gazan civilians as human shields, and who have converted every inch of Gaza to a terror war machine.”
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today that between 1 and 11 January, only 5 of 24 planned aid deliveries of food, medicine, water, and other lifesaving supplies to the north of Wadi Gaza were able to proceed.
In southern Gaza, new evacuation orders were issued yesterday to residents of the Al Mawasi area and several blocks near Salah Ad Deen Road, covering an estimated 4.6 square kilometres. The Israeli military stated that it is preparing to operate in the area and ordered those affected to move to Deir al Balah.
More than 18,000 people and nine shelters, accommodating an unknown number of internally displaced people, are expected to be affected by this latest round of orders.
The Human Rights Office have also expressed concern that Israeli forces have placed civilian lives at serious risk by ordering residents from various parts of Middle Gaza to relocate to Deir al Balah while continuing to conduct airstrikes on the city. Measures must be immediately taken to protect civilians, in line with Israel’s obligations under international law.
