Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 13th Jan. UN Security Council on Friday called for 2 meetings in New York on the worsening situation across the Middle East, threats of forced displacement from Gaza and then the escalating conflict in and around the Red Sea with Houthis rebels.
French Ambassador, Nicolas de Rivière the president of the UNSC for this month chaired the Council opened the meetings for a debate.
US Permanent Representative to the UN Thomas-Greenfield said the strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen overnight Thursday were to “disrupt and degrade” the group’s “reckless attacks” against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden.”
She added that these strikes were necessary and proportionate.
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield noted that “they were consistent with international law and in exercise of the US’ inherent right to self-defence, as reflected by Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
She informed the Council members that the allies’ reasons for the strikes, emphasized that no one is immune, including Russia, from the attacks perpetrated by Houthis against ships and vessels.
“So long as any one of our ships is vulnerable, all of our ships are vulnerable,” she said.
She noted that since November, over 2,000 ships have had to be diverted in the face of Houthi threats and that the rebels have attacked and taken hostage mariners from over 20 countries.
Ms. Greenfield recalled the resolution adopted by the Security Council that called on the Houthis to cease their attacks and condemned those that provided arms and assistance needed to carry out those attacks.
“This resolution referenced the inherent right of Member States, in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks,” she said.
“Yesterday’s strike was the latest in a series of actions taken in self-defence, taken by the US alongside other countries and one that occurred against a broad diplomatic backdrop of global condemnation,” she said.
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that her country does not desire more conflict in the region.
“Our aim is simple: to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, while upholding the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation,” she said.
Russia’s Ambassador, Mr. Nebenzia said that given the blatant armed aggression against another country, his delegation would have preferred to see the UN Secretary-General briefing the Council.
He said that yesterday’s aggression by a so-called “international coalition” saw attacks against Yemen and its people, with aircraft and sea vessels hitting multiple cities, bombarding airports and other infrastructure.
Russian envoy stressed that the same destruction has been unfolding in Gaza, with the war now spreading to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
He added that these massive strikes by the US and UK have “nothing in common” with the right to self-defence.
“The actions of the coalition violate Article II of the UN Charter,” he said. “The freedom of navigation is governed by the Law of the Sea.”
He said a dispute should be filed to the appropriate body in line with Russia’s consistent calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Mr. Nebenzia noted the Council’s attempts to do so have been obstructed by the US, which had given a “twisted explanation” for its criminal acts in Council discussions on the resolution it adopted on the Red Sea.
He said the US and its allies have a record of gross violations, added that Washington is also covering up is actions in Syria with “a fig leaf”.
Mr. Nebenzia said with regard to Gaza, the Middle East is now facing a critical situation.
“If the escalation continues, the region could encounter a catastrophe,” he said.
He added that the responsibility for this should be on the US.
Russian Ambassador called on the international community to condemn the attack against Yemen and for further global efforts to stop the violence in the Middle East.
Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Khaled Khiari, said that the cycle of violence in Yemen and Red Sea risks grave political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions not only for the war-torn and impoverished country itself but also the wider region.
“Recent humanitarian improvements in the country are fragile and could easily be reversed if there are further incidents, while progress on reaching a political settlement to end the war in Yemen could also be undermined, leaving the people of Yemen facing the impact of continued conflict,” he said.
US and UK military forces, supported by four other nations on Thursday reportedly conducted over 50 air and missile strikes on targets across Yemen, after attacks by the Houthi rebel group targeted ships and vessels in the Red Sea.
“These developments in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions are alarming,” he warned.
“The Houthis’ attack following the adoption of the Security Council resolution and yesterday’s [Thursday’s] events further demonstrate that the region is on a dangerous escalatory trajectory which could potentially impact millions in Yemen, the region and globally,” Mr. Khiari added.
He recalled the UN Secretary General’s call on all parties involved not to escalate the situation.
“All concerned parties must do their utmost to avoid further escalation, reduce tensions and exercise restraint,” Mr. Khiari said.
He called on the Security Council to continue its efforts to prevent further escalation.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted the humanitarian impact of the conflict precipitated by the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other militants.
She said over 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza internally displaced and that the situation is “heart-breaking and untenable”.
“The US position has been clear and consistent – Palestinian civilians in Gaza must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow,” she said.
She noted that her country has made it 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,” she added.
She noted that such irresponsible statements make it harder to secure a lasting peace.
Ms. Greenfield questioned why some Security Council members “still cannot bring themselves” to condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas, speak of the plight of hostages, or censure the rocket attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah against Israelis.
“And why have some Council members refused to hold Hamas accountable for using civilians as human shields,” she said.
She urged all Member States to speak out and press Hamas and Hezbollah to “do what is necessary” to end the violence and displacement they have wrought.
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield drew attention to “unprecedented rise” in violence in the West Bank.
She condemned attacks by extremist Palestinian militants on Israeli civilians, as well as the attacks by Israeli extremist settlers targeting Palestinians and their properties, displacing entire communities.
“The US strongly opposes the advancement of settlements in the West Bank and we strongly oppose the violence that has come to characterize them.
“At their core settlements undermine the geographic viability of a two-State solution, exacerbate tensions and further harm trust between Israelis and Palestinians,” she said.
Russian envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said the catastrophic situation in Gaza can be seen in the thousands of deaths and people buried under the rubble, widely destroyed civilian infrastructure and the two million who have been compelled to flee for their lives.
He noted that those who were forced to leave have found refuge in UNRWA facilities.
He said the 7 October attacks are reprehensible they cannot legitimize Israel’s use of the force in the Gaza Strip.
He said that the Council still fails to shoulder its mandate to implement a ceasefire. He regretted that the United States has stymied efforts to do so.
He said making life unbearable in Gaza leaves the Palestinians no choice, he warned that the current situation could have dire consequences for the whole world.
The efforts are underway to prevent the mass deportation of Palestinians from their land, he said.
Vassily Nebenzia cited international law and emphasizing that occupying Powers have clear obligations.
He said that plans for flooding Gaza would make it uninhabitable.
Vassily Nebenzia pointed to South Africa’s case filed in The Hague this week and others brought before the International Criminal Court. What is striking are media reports of the idea that Israel would convince countries to take in Palestinians, he said.
“Russia’s approach is unchanged; we want an immediate ceasefire,” he said, raising concerns about a spillover of the conflict in the region, including in Yemen. “Without an immediate ceasefire, the Middle East risks plunged into a full fledged war.”
Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama said shocking images are being beamed around the world on screens every day, without any meaningful response.
“What is happening in Gaza will remain a disgrace on the conscience of humanity,” he said. “Is it not enough to kill more than 23,000 people?”
He said the barbaric bombardment of the enclave and targeting of all signs of life in Gaza clearly “is a targeting of making Gaza uninhabitable” and kill the hope of returning home for Palestinians.
Ambassador added that this policy enjoys support from the occupying Power.
He said that the goal is to terminate the Palestinian territory, added that the plan of forced displacement is unfolding now throughout the Palestinian territory through bombardment.
“This plan is destined to fail,” he said. “There is no place for Palestinians except on their land. Any displacement of Palestinians is a clear violation of international law.”
He said the international community and the Council must speak in one voice against the displacement of Palestinians.
He concluded his remarks saying “Silence is complicity,” he said, reiterating the call for a ceasefire.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said numerous UN meetings have been held and resolutions adopted, but not one condemned Hamas’s attacks and hostage taking. Similarly, there has been no meeting held to help free those kidnapped by Palestinian militants.
He said that the Council has taken no action for 100 days, and Hamas has not permitted the Red Cross to visit the hostage.
Mr. Erdan said these are symptoms of the same cancer that is rotting the United Nations, which has lost all moral credibility.
He added that “the UN can only unite on one thing: the demonization of Israel.”
He added that for the past 76 years, Arabs have used every means to annihilate Israel, he said. There is not a single UN body that remains untainted by anti-Israel messages.
“There is no forced displacement,” he said. “Israel has no intention of displacing the population in Gaza.”
He said that some prefer spreading falsehoods over the truth.
He pointed out that Pakistan is forcibly displacing thousands of Muslims from Afghanistan. Why does the forced displacement of Muslims from a Muslim country get little attention, he asked, answering: “no Jews, no news.”
He added that every UN body is now a “weapon against Israel”, which represents one tenth of one per cent of the global population. In 2023, the UN General Assembly passed more resolutions against Israel than Iran and Syria combined.
The Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the UN, Riyad Mansour, thanked South Africa for presenting its case against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza, at the International Court of Justice stated the lesson of the Holocaust is to stand against atrocities, regardless of the perpetrator.
He called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent a regional escalation of the crisis, stressing the urgency of saving Palestinian children’s lives.
“Palestinians are searching for safety everywhere, finding safety nowhere. Searching for life anywhere, met by death everywhere”, he added.
He said Israel had “deliberately destroyed everything”.
“It killed and maimed our children, our doctors, our journalists, our engineers, our poets, our academics. It destroyed the very requirement of life and of a life in Gaza.”
Mr. Mansour went on to note that there have always been two visions to end the conflict, one upholds international law, ends the occupation, fulfills Palestinian rights, and achieves a just and lasting peace based on UN resolutions.
He argued that other is a supremacist, racist, criminal and delusional vision that somehow Palestinians accept death, exodus or subjugation.
Riyad Mansour, stressed that the Palestinian people are here to stay and that they have a right to live in freedom and dignity in their ancestral land, he said that this the “only path” towards shared peace and security.
“All those who want to see shared peace and security should not spread fire. They must support an immediate ceasefire,” he added.
French Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Rivière spoke in his national capacity, saying efforts must focus immediately towards a lasting ceasefire, with the help of all regional and international partners.
“This is essential to enable the delivery of more humanitarian aid,” he said.
“We must also remove obstacles to guarantee humanitarian access and fully implement resolutions 2712 and 2720 of this Council.”
He stated that France will continue to provide humanitarian, financial and material aid to the civilian population.
Nicolas de Rivière reiterated his delegation’s call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
“This Council must condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7, including sexual and gender-based violence used as a weapon of war,” he said.
He added that France will continue its action to establish sanctions against Hamas at the European level.
On the political level, France will continue to commit to the path of a rapid exit from the crisis based on the solution of the two States, both having Jerusalem as their capital, the only one that can make it possible to build a fair and sustainable peace,” he said.
He said “We must work to build a State for the Palestinians,”. “The Palestinian Authority has a central role to play in this process, in the West Bank as in Gaza, which aims to be part of this Palestinian State.”
Council recalled in its resolution 2712 that the forced displacement of civilian populations was contrary to international law. France also condemns the colonization policy, illegal under international law and a major obstacle to the prospect of a two-State solution, he said, emphasizing that it is crucial to avoid a regional conflagration.
Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said Gaza is a stain on humanity’s conscience.
“Nearly 100 days into the ongoing Palestinian-Israel conflict, more than 23,000 people in Gaza and over 200 UN personnel and journalists have lost their lives…all of these are not just cold numbers, but the loss of human lives,” he said.
Zhang Jun noted that some countries speak constantly about promoting human rights and preventing genocide, but continue to deflect attention from the situation in Gaza.
He said “This is double standard. “We need robust action to end the conflict. Any forced displacement of Palestinians must be firmly rejected.”
Zhang Jun argued that all measures must be taken to alleviate the humanitarian disaster, and a ceasefire must be declared with the utmost urgency. Only a ceasefire can prevent the two-State solution from collapsing.
“We urge the international community, especially countries who have influence on the parties, to make the realization of a ceasefire, the overriding task,” he said.
British envoy to the UN Barbara Woodward said her delegation firmly rejects any statements proposing that Palestinians should be resettled outside of Gaza, including those by members of the Israeli Government.
She said his country is alarmed by the record levels of extremist settler violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its devastating impact.
She called on the Government of Israel to not only condemn settler violence but also take direct action against those responsible for it, hold them to account, and ensure that Palestinian civilians are protected.
Ms. Woodward intensely focused on to make sure more aid gets into Gaza.
“Ahead of a permanent ceasefire, we want to see immediate and sustained humanitarian pauses,” she said.
She added that this will allow for hostages to be released and more aid to enter Gaza. In accordance with resolution 2720, “we call on Israel to allow for higher volumes of humanitarian aid, through as many routes as possible”.
Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Khaled Khiari, said that the cycle of violence in Yemen and Red Sea risks grave political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions not only for the war-torn and impoverished country itself but also the wider region.
“Recent humanitarian improvements in the country are fragile and could easily be reversed if there are further incidents, while progress on reaching a political settlement to end the war in Yemen could also be undermined, leaving the people of Yemen facing the impact of continued conflict,” he said.
He noted that US and UK military forces, supported by four other nations, reportedly conducted over 50 air and missile strikes on targets across Yemen, after attacks by the Houthi rebel group targeting ships and vessels in the Red Sea.
“These developments in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions are alarming,” he warned.
“The Houthis’ attack following the adoption of the Security Council resolution and yesterday’s [Thursday’s] events further demonstrate that the region is on a dangerous escalatory trajectory which could potentially impact millions in Yemen, the region and globally,” Mr. Khiari added.
He recalled the UN Secretary General’s call on all parties involved not to escalate the situation.
“All concerned parties must do their utmost to avoid further escalation, reduce tensions and exercise restraint,” Mr. Khiari said.
He called on all on the Security Council to continue its efforts to prevent further escalation.
The Council met on the Red Sea crisis.
It discussed the related escalation of violence besetting the Red Sea a crucial international shipping lane that has been under attack by Houthi rebels on the coast of Yemen.
Two UN officials briefed the council members via videolink.
UNRWA said that 134 facilities have been hit and 148 UN personnel and non-governmental organization staff have been killed in Gaza.
Humanitarian sites have been hit on numerous occasions, despite their identification and notification to the Israeli Defense Forces. In the last few days alone, two NGO premises have been hit.
He noted the orders for evacuation are unrelenting. As ground operations move southwards, aerial bombardments have intensified in areas where civilians were told to relocate for their safety.
Guterres said more and more people are being crammed into an ever-smaller sliver of land, only to find yet more violence and deprivation, inadequate shelter and a near absence of the most basic services.
“There is no safe place in Gaza,” he said. “Dignified human life is a near impossibility.”
Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for the UN human rights office also spoke to the Council members in the open meeting called by new non permanent member of the Council Algeria, whose has made clear he intends to represent the Arab voice in world affairs at this crucial time on the Council.
Ilze Brands Kehris, highlighted what was “preventable” as the crisis deepens in Gaza and warned-about the sheer scale of suffering.
She emphasized the need for accountability for the 7 October terror attacks on Israeli civilians, she stated, “its horror will not be forgotten.”
Ilze Brands Kehris said that Gaza’s situation is not a mere by-product of conflict but a direct consequence of the conduct of hostilities.
She mentioned the displacement initiated on 12 October with Israeli authorities ordering Palestinians north of Wadi Gaza to move south.
Ms. Kehris raised concerns about compliance with international law, suggested potential war crimes despite Israel claimed it was for safety,.
“Such compelled evacuations, failing to meet the necessary conditions for lawfulness, therefore potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime.”
“In fact, these orders have often been confusing, requiring civilians to move to so-called ‘humanitarian zones’ or ‘known shelters’ despite the fact that many such areas have been subsequently struck in Israeli military operations and the lack of any capacity in the shelters to absorb more people.”
Ms. Kehris informed ambassadors of a “dramatic” rise in violence by Israeli settlers and Israeli security personnel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and of statements by some members of Israel’s leadership pushing for permanent resettlement of Palestinians overseas.
She said such statements have “entrenched fears that Palestinians are being deliberately forced out of Gaza and will not be able to return this must not be permitted,”.
Ms. Kehris stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages as crucial steps toward a durable solution.
“We must also look towards what comes next. This current violence comes in the context of decades of human rights violations,” she said.
She added that for any enduring solution to the crisis, the underlying root causes must be addressed including “accountability for violations committed on and since 7 October, and in the many years before”.
“Ensuring justice and that the rights of all peoples – both of Palestinians and Israelis – are respected and protected is the only basis on which an enduring peace can be built.”
UN relief head Martin Griffiths stated that efforts to send humanitarian convoys to the North have been met with delays, denials and the imposition of impossible conditions.
He said that the lack of respect for the humanitarian notification system puts every movement of aid workers in danger.
“Providing humanitarian assistance across Gaza is almost impossible,” he said. “Our access to Khan Younis and the Middle Area is largely absent.”
He said that uin these circumstances, the spread of hostilities southwards would significantly increase pressure for the mass displacement of people into neighbouring countries, he said.
“I want to emphasize that any persons displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as international law demands,” he said.
He expressed deep alarm 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”.
Any attempt to change the demographic composition of Gaza must be firmly rejected, he said.
Gaza is the epicentre of this crisis, he said “let us not forget the 1,200 people killed, thousands injured and hundreds taken in the brutal attack by Hamas and other armed groups on Israel on 7 October, and the accounts of abhorrent sexual violence”.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced within Israel as a result of the 7 October attack by Hamas and other armed groups and due to ongoing rocket fire from armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
In this vein, he expressed continued concern about the risk of a further regional spread of this conflict.
“What we have seen since 7 October is a stain on our collective conscience,” he said. “Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity.”
People will continue to suffer and die from the rockets, the bombs, the missiles and the bullets and in increasing numbers from starvation, disease and exposure, he said.
“We cannot let this happen,” he said, reiterating his call for a ceasefire, for the Council to take urgent action to end the war.
He repeated his call for far greater compliance with international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the infrastructure they depend on; the provision of essentials for survival; the facilitation of humanitarian assistance at the scale required; and the humane treatment and immediate release of all hostages.
The meeting came as tensions and threats increase across the whole Middle East, with alarming exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on international shipping in the Red Sea.
United States and the United Kingdom retaliated against Houthi positions inside Yemen, an escalation that is directly linked to events inside Gaza as the rebels make common cause with Hamas.
Council held closed-door consultations where it considered a report by the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2712, which among other points, called for “urgent and extended” humanitarian pauses in Gaza, as well as an immediate release of hostages.
Security Council adopted a resolution strongly condemned the attacks by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen. The resolution passed with 11 votes in favor, with 4 abstentions: China, Russia, Algeria and Mozambique.
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