Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at a UNSC Briefing on Hostages in the Gaza Strip
Madam President,
We would like to thank Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari for his substantive briefing on the situation surrounding hostages in the Gaza Strip. Our hearts ached with sorrow as we listened to the tragic story of Mr. Eli Sharabi who lost his entire family. Such cruelty can in no way be justified. We express to you, Mr. Sharabi, our heartfelt condolences. We also mourn for all those (without exception) who have died as a result of the escalation that has been going on for nearly 18 months now. This endless vicious cycle of violence must finally be broken.
The unbearable suffering of peaceful civilians in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict leaves no one indifferent. For that very reason, on January 19, the international community welcomed the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – not only did this halt the spiraling violence that had claimed the lives of over 49,000 people, but also paved the way to the long-awaited release of hostages held in Gaza and that of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. During the first phase of the “deal”, 25 hostages and eight bodies were handed over to Israel in exchange for nearly 1,800 Palestinian detainees. In addition, during the 42-day “truce”, both Gazans and the remaining Israeli hostages there did harbor a hope for salvation: access to the enclave was unblocked, humanitarian activities were ramped up and the UN agencies reported that humanitarian supplies to the enclave increased. The whole world breathed a sigh of relief.
However, as the end of phase 1 neared, the prospects for the further implementation of the “deal” became increasingly dubious. Since the first day of the ceasefire, the Israeli leadership has consistently stepped up their hawkish rhetoric with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintaining its presence in the Strip. And it’s unlikely that anyone in Israel even considered moving on to phase 2 of the “deal”, which would have entailed a permanent ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza. What happened was quite the opposite – in circumvention of the agreements reached through mediators, the Israeli authorities have stubbornly insisted on a purely technical extension of the ceasefire so as to secure the return of all the hostages.
For a long time, the situation was up in the air, but the window of opportunity to relaunch a comprehensive peace process slammed shut on March 18, when the IDF resumed airstrikes on the Strip, killing more than 420 people, including a UNOPS staff member. Another five UN staff were injured. As the UN Secretary-General stated, the total number of UN personnel killed since October 7, 2023, is at least 280. We align ourselves with the Secretary-General's decisive condemnation of the attacks on UN personnel and his call for a full-fledged investigation into the incident.
Madam President,
It was with regret that we heard of Israel's resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip. And, as far as we can tell, this involves not only air raids, but also a ground operation. We strongly condemn any action that may lead to civilian casualties and further destruction of social infrastructure. We were particularly perplexed by the reports of Israeli indiscriminate air strikes on the Al-Mawasi, even though Israel had previously designated this very area as a humanitarian safe zone, where all those in need of immediate emergency medical care could be evacuated to.
As a result, today we also learned about the resumed shelling from Gaza of Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, which was quite predictable as violence begets violence. In parallel, Israel has resumed an all-out blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off the supply of water and electricity, even though this poses an obvious threat to the lives and safety of all those who remain there, including Israeli hostages. Such a decision is a particularly flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and could be conceived of as a war crime. The issue of survival facing the Palestinians is compounded by the critical situation surrounding the operation of UNRWA, which is the key entity to provide comprehensive assistance to the Palestinians. While “tightening the screws” in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli leadership is simultaneously taking unlawful steps, including the military operation in the West Bank. Tomorrow we will have an opportunity to discuss this topic in greater detail.
Madam President,
It is with great regret that we have to state today that the hard-won ceasefire has turned out to be unsustainable. Scarcely can we can discuss its future prospects given that the Israeli military and political leadership is openly announcing its intent to use increasing force against Hamas and proceed with negotiating a “deal” exclusively “under fire”. It seems that they have already made the choice in favor of war, and nobody knows how many new victims Palestine and Israel are to expect.
We believe that the fragility of the agreements that Israel has just violated can also be explained by the fact that from the very outset, the UN Security Council knew very little about the details of surrounding the “deal” – from the get-go, the Council was deliberately cut off from the negotiating process, and the emphasis was placed solely on the efforts of other intermediaries. Hence, the entire unique toolkit that the UN has at the disposal to address such issues went unused, even though – if used – it could have made a ceasefire sustained. It is important for those who are going to work on restoring the ceasefire in the Strip to be cognizant of this fact.
Despite the new escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we stand convinced that a diplomatic solution is not only possible but is the only viable option. We call on the Israeli and Palestinian sides, with the assistance of the mediators, to return to the negotiating table to craft a mutually acceptable compromise solution to the issues of releasing detainees, restoring a ceasefire and resuming full humanitarian access. That could pave the way to a lasting normalization in the Gaza Strip and a full-scale reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave. We are convinced that this is exactly what both Palestinian civilians and the families and loved ones of the hostages remaining in Gaza, including Mr. Harkin from Donbass.
It is important for all regional players and the international community as a whole to work towards this end. The process of the Israeli-Palestinian settlement should be brought back to a political track, so as to satisfy both Israel's legitimate security concerns and the Palestinian aspirations for a State of their own within the 1967 borders.
Thank you.
