Madam President,
I thank Ms. Msuya for her presentation.
As we have just heard, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic.
France condemns Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure, and calls on Israel to ensure the protection of all civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
She expresses her deep concern at the extreme seriousness of the situation in northern Gaza, where the Israeli army has been carrying out an operation for several days. The human toll is already very heavy: nearly 300 victims and around a hundred injured in one week, according to local authorities. The delivery of aid is hampered. New evacuation orders have been issued, although any forced population displacement would constitute a serious violation of international law. The Israeli authorities must remove obstacles to the delivery of aid. Access has never been lower since the start of the conflict.
France calls on Israel to abandon plans to criminalize the activities of UNRWA and prevent the office from operating throughout the Palestinian Territories. This would only make an already catastrophic situation worse. She reaffirms her support for UNRWA, as well as the implementation of the recommendations of the Colonna report.
The war in Gaza must end without delay. This is the only way to respond to the ongoing humanitarian disaster. We must no longer accept this as fact. There must be an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, as well as the massive delivery of aid.
France has continued to condemn the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7, 2023.
It continues its efforts to implement the two-State solution, and it will remain at the initiative, including in the Security Council.
Measures aimed at weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop. France calls on Israel to no longer obstruct the transfer of income. It supports a reformed Palestinian Authority, capable of exercising its responsibilities throughout the Palestinian Territories, including the Gaza Strip.
Let me also address the ongoing war in Lebanon. The humanitarian situation is worsening due to the intensification of Israeli strikes. Here too, there must be an immediate ceasefire. It is more than urgent to fully implement Resolution 1701 to achieve a long-term solution along the Blue Line, which ensures respect for the security of Israel and Lebanon.
Finally and above all, we must avoid a regional conflagration.
As such, France condemned the Hezbollah attack against a military base in Binyamina, which cost the lives of four people and left several dozen injured. France reiterates its unwavering attachment to Israel’s security. Hezbollah attacks against Israeli territory must stop.
Thank you.
