Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East
Mr. President,
We wish to thank Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, for his detailed report on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) in the context of the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2334. We would also like to thank Nickolay Mladenov, Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza, for his briefing.
While the entire world is watching with horror as the aggression against Iran initiated by the US and Israel unfolds, having provoked destabilization in the Middle East and at global markets, the deteriorating situation in the OPT and, in particular, in the West Bank is now sadly overshadowed. The Israeli authorities and settlers have seized the opportunity to profit from the regional escalation and redoubled their efforts to abuse the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Since the war started, the number of road closures and crossing points has increased by 80 percent, additional military contingents have been deployed in Palestinian lands. 40 hectares of land have been confiscated from local residents and municipalities for military purposes. Since the beginning of the year, the settlers have displaced 1.5 thousand locals moving them away from the West Bank, the actions performed by radicals and security forces resulted in 29 deaths among Palestinians. We wish to express our deep concern over the growing amount of weapons and gun licenses issued to the settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem under the pretext of ensuring security, which exacerbates the escalation.
Israel is accelerating settlement construction and is broadening its practice of land seizures, which is in line with its policy of creating irreversible facts on the ground. Unprecedented decisions have been made regarding the construction project in the E1 area and the revision of the legal status of Areas A and B, violating the Oslo Accords, which were signed and ratified by Israel. The Israeli operation “Iron Wall” displaced more than 33 thousand Palestinian refugees from Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps, having demolished a half of buildings across the camps, which compromises the future return of Palestinians to these territories.
Barring Muslims from entering Al Aqsa mosque compound during the last days of the month of Ramadan “for security concerns” constitutes a flagrant provocation and a true ordeal for Muslims. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was also closed to worshippers. We demand that Israel maintain the historical and legal status quo for holy sites in Jerusalem.
Against this backdrop, hate speech is flourishing. Social media accounts related to radicals are urging people “not to miss the opportunity” while the international community’s attention is focused on Iran. In a video message recorded amidst the demolition of UNRWA’s headquarters, the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem directly calls for the killing of all Agency staff, using religious views as a pretext. We vehemently condemn this statement and call on the Israeli authorities to take all measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Unfortunately, such statements are not an exception but merely one manifestation of an aggressive, targeted campaign launched by Israel against UNRWA. Since October 7, 2023, 391 UNRWA staff members have been killed. UNRWA buildings are being demolished; legislation has been enacted aimed at closing UN-supported schools and hospitals as well as forcibly cutting off electricity and water supplies. Anti-UNRWA disinformation campaign is being spread in the media.
Despite all of this, UNRWA continues to serve as the only entity providing comprehensive assistance to Palestinians both in the OPT and in neighboring Arab countries. The Agency provides shelter to refugees, delivers medical care, offers educational services, and assists with essential goods and food.
The mandate of this agency is of particular significance within the universally recognized international legal framework of the Middle East settlement, primarily in terms of delivering assistance to Palestinians and ensuring their protection until they exercise their right of return. We note that many UNRWA staff members have paid the ultimate price during the years of war in the Gaza Strip. We commend the efforts of UNRWA’s leadership, including outgoing Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. We call on donors to continue providing all possible assistance to the Agency, whose representatives acknowledged during a recent briefing that even regional escalation affects UNRWA less severely than its deteriorating financial situation.
Mr. President,
At the same time, the Gaza Strip has once again found itself on the brink of disaster. Since the conditional ceasefire in Gaza (October 10, 2025), more than 650 Palestinians have been killed and another 1,700 wounded; the “yellow line” is gradually shifting westward, and the territory that is not under Israeli control is shrinking further. According to available data, the incoming humanitarian aid has been reduced by 80–90%. Only one crossing point, Kerem Shalom, is fully operational; activities at the Rafah crossing were recently partially resumed for the movement of people; there is a shortage of drinking water, food, and medicines; and there are no prospects for the imminent start of the restoration of civilian infrastructure—Israel is blocking the supply of construction materials. We call on West Jerusalem to ensure safe and unimpeded access in accordance with the established guiding principles.
Overall, it has to be acknowledged that we do not see the signs of implementing Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. We realize that regional escalation does not contribute to creating favorable conditions for further steps toward deploying transitional structures in the enclave and forming the International Stabilization Force in Gaza (ISF). At the same time, the lack of progress in implementing the plan—including the lack of clarity regarding the ISF, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the transfer of control to the Palestinian Authority—could lead to another round of armed conflict.
It is disappointing and perplexing that Ramallah has been excluded from the political peace process, its representatives were not invited to join the Board of Peace. It is equally discouraging to see the steps that are being taken to undermine the PA’s position, such as Israel’s withholding of $4.5 billion in Palestinian tax revenues. All of this compromises U.S. peace efforts. We call on mediators to make every possible effort to find a negotiated solution that takes into account the interests of all parties.
Mr. President,
Russia’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli settlement is a matter of principle and is not subject to short-term shifts based on trends. We advocate for the resumption of the peace process on the universally recognized basis of international law, including the two-state solution, with the aim of establishing an independent and viable State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace, safety and security with Israel.
With regard to the regional tensions, we call on the parties to immediately cease hostilities. Russia stands ready to facilitate finding ways to resolve the current escalation through political and diplomatic means.
Thank you.
