Source: United Nations (Video News)
The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag, today (25 Feb) said the Middle East is faced with a “historic opportunity” to attain “peace, security, and dignity,” but warned that “this may be our last chance to achieve the two-State solution.”
Kaag told the Security Council in New York that “Arab states are leading the efforts to devise a plan for rebuilding Gaza, with Egypt planning to host a conference dedicated to Gaza’s reconstruction” and pointed out that the UN “is ready to support reconstruction efforts.”
Palestinian civilians, she said, “must be able to resume their lives, to rebuild, and to construct their future in Gaza” and stressed that “there can be no question of forced displacement.”
Kaag said, “we need to ensure that: One, Gaza remains an integral part of a future Palestinian State. Two, Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem are unified politically, economically, and administratively. Three, there will be no long-term IDF presence in Gaza and Israel’s legitimate security concerns are addressed.”
She said, “we need to commit to ending the occupation and a final resolution of the conflict based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.”
Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani plead the Council for a continuation of the ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
Argamani said, “the deal must go on in full and completely in all the stages,” noting that her partner, Avinatan Or “and many other hostages are only supposed to be released in the second stage of the deal.”
Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in Gaza after eight months in captivity.
United States Ambassador Dorothy Camille Shea said, “as a result of the ceasefire, the countries of the Middle East have an historic opportunity to reshape the region in a way that affords its people a better path forward,” adding that the United States “will do its part to create a more prosperous future for all of the region’s people.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour for his part said, “our history is filled with wars that Israel promised will be decisive, and they were not; of mass forcible displacement that was supposed to end the Palestine question, and it did not. The idea that more injustice, more brutality, more oppression, would lead to peace is madness. The idea that more killing, more maiming, more displacing will bring security is delusional. There is no military solution to this conflict. Only a political one.”
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told the Council that the conflict between Israel and Hamas was not a “symmetrical” one. He said, “on one side, there are families holding on to hope. On the other side, there is an organization that murders infants and holds onto their bodies until it serves a political and propaganda purpose. “
“No matter what happens,” he said, “our commitment to freeing all the hostages and completely eradicating Hamas is unshakeable.”
Outside the Council, Kaag told reporters that “forced displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza is both not acceptable. It’s a violation of international law and Palestinians themselves don’t want it, and countries of the region don’t want it.”
She said, “Gaza can be recovered and reconstructed. It is complicated, complex, but with political will and the right agreements, it can be done.”
Danon, for his part said, “the end game in Gaza will be without Hamas. That is a given. With these negotiations about how to achieve that, we have the similar voices from the US representative, and we are grateful for the votes and the support. And I think the negotiators should also understand that they we will not accept the end of the conflict when Hamas is still in power in Gaza.”