Following Gaza Ceasefire, Formation of New Governments in Lebanon, Syria, Speakers in Security Council Discuss Ways to Ensure Steps Bring Positive Change for Region
In the wake of profound changes across the Middle East — including new Governments in Lebanon and Syria and a recent agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza — speakers in the Security Council today, during a day-long debate, offered their visions for how to ensure that these developments usher in positive changes for the region.
“It is clear the region is being re-shaped — but it is far from clear what will emerge,” observed António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Recalling his recent visit to Lebanon — where “a new dawn is rising” — he reported that, while the cessation of hostilities is fragile, it is holding. “It is vital that the Israeli presence in the south ends as defined in the agreement, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces are present in the totality of Lebanon,” he stressed. On this, he spotlighted the efforts of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has carried out over 730 missions in cooperation with such Forces.
He went on to state: “In Gaza, at long last, the ceasefire and hostage-release deal offer a ray of hope.” Underscoring that nothing justifies either the “appalling 7 October terror attacks by Hamas” or the “dramatic levels of death and destruction inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza”, he urged the Council and all Member States to support all efforts to implement the ceasefire, ensure accountability and create conditions for recovery and reconstruction. Nevertheless, he stressed: “It is clear that greater stability in the Middle East requires irreversible action toward a two-State solution.”
State of Palestine’s Speaker Hopes New Deal Will Lead to Full Final Ceasefire
Yet, the occupation Government’s actions and laws aim to undermine the official institutions of the State of Palestine, said Varsen Aghabekian, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine. “The Palestine Liberation Organization is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” she said, noting its readiness to assume responsibility for governing Gaza and the West Bank, provide basic services, guarantee the return of the displaced to their homes and prepare for reconstruction.
“The glimmer of hope we see today allowed us to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” she continued, commending mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. She expressed hope that “this ceasefire will hold”, leading to “a full and final ceasefire without any return to aggression” and a full withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza. Underscoring the need to implement relevant Council resolutions, she rejected any attempt to annex Palestinian land.
Israel’s Representative Calls Hostage Deal ‘Step in a Demanding Journey’
The representative of Israel, however, noted that Hamas violated Council resolutions with impunity, emphasizing: “And, yet, it is Israel who has been scrutinized in this room.” For 472 days, hostages have been subjected to “unimaginable suffering”, she said, adding that “the joy of their return is shadowed by the immense pain”. It was unity, she stressed, that drove Israel’s determination to bring them home, dismantle Hamas’ military capability and ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat.
“We now stand at a turning point for the entire region,” she added, stating that Israel has fundamentally altered the strategic landscape in the Middle East. Israel will continue to enforce the ceasefire in Lebanon, and she stressed that her Government has no interest in a conflict with Syria. Adding that the hostage deal is not a “conclusion” — but a “step in a demanding journey to ensure the return of every single hostage” — she emphasized: “We will not rest until every one of them is back home.”
Underscoring that such deal “was long overdue”, the representative of the United States spotlighted the diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and her own country that led to this agreement. This will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and reunite hostages with their families. “It is the result not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran, but also of dogged and painstaking diplomacy,” she stated.
Calls for Security Council to Adopt Binding Resolution on Ceasefire’s Implementation, Accountability for Crimes Committed against Palestinians
Qatar’s representative also pointed to the diplomatic efforts of her country and its partners to reach an agreement to “end the war and give hope to the region”. For its part, the Council must now shoulder its responsibility to monitor the ceasefire and “pass a binding resolution on the implementation of this agreement”. Further, regional and international efforts to deliver humanitarian aid must continue, and she joined others in warning against actions hindering the “essential” activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The representative of Egypt — speaking for the Arab Group — concurred, also calling for accountability “for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people”. The starvation and killing of civilians — broadcast all over the world — cannot pass without accountability, and Israel is solely responsible for the destruction of Gaza. Also calling for accountability, South Africa’s representative — joining others urging respect for the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice — stressed: “We cannot allow the Palestinian people to be decimated through bombs, starvation and displacement while the world is seemingly unable to act.”
“The Palestinian population that has, for decades, experienced the horror of war today confronts a genocide,” said Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Israel must pay reparations to Palestine for the death and destruction of the last 15 months, stressed Ahmed Shiaan, Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives. Peya Mushelenga, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, added: “The toll on human life and infrastructure have set a new precedent for violence and destruction in an ugly chapter in human history.”
Building on that, Iran’s representative said that the tragedy in Gaza “exposed double standards, moral failures and inaction from the international community and the Security Council.” Yet, while the Council was unable to end the “true genocide in the Gaza Strip”, Eltaher Salem Elbaour, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Libya, said that, today, “Gazans are finally going to be able to spend a night calmly and at peace”. However, a ceasefire alone cannot end the suffering of those in the Gaza Strip. For that, he pointed out that urgent international action is required to improve the devastating humanitarian situation there — “because it is just a scene of debris and rubble at the moment”.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Must Be Allowed to Continue Vital Work Unhindered
In that vein, Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, urged Israel to allow UNRWA — “the only organization with the logistical and human resources to address the severe needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza” — to continue its vital work unhindered. However, Israeli legislation “means that UNRWA faces a cliff-edge in its ability to support Palestinian refugees”, observed Hamish Falconer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, who also urged Israel “not to endanger UNRWA’s ability to operate”.
“We must hold Israel accountable to its commitments, including establishing a permanent ceasefire, withdrawing forces from Gaza and enabling unimpeded humanitarian aid,” stressed the representative of Türkiye. Adding to the voices of support for UNRWA, she said that Israeli legislation seeking to ban the Agency’s operations in the Occupied Palestine Territory contravene its legal obligations under the Charter of the United Nations. She therefore urged the Council to “shield and support UNRWA until a just and lasting two-State solution is achieved”.
Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia, similarly pointed out that UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of refugees. He also emphasized that the challenge lies not in stabilizing the recent ceasefire agreement; rather, it is in addressing the root causes by lifting the “inhumane” blockade of Gaza and rebuilding the Strip. Carlos Ruíz-Hernández, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, also underlined the need to recognize the conflict’s root causes. “Without security for Israel, peace will be unachievable — but there also needs to be justice and dignity for the Palestinian people,” he said.
Speakers for Lebanon and Syria Stress Israel Must Withdraw from Their Territories
For her part, Lebanon’s representative described the situation in the region as “a Middle East earthquake that saw coalitions cracking and regimes falling”. Spotlighting the drastic changes in her country, she pointed to the election of a new President and Prime Minister after two years of institutional vacuum. At the same time, she condemned Israel’s ongoing land and air violations, calling on that country to respect its obligations under resolution 1701 (2006) and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories within the 60-day framework timeline.
Meanwhile, the representative of Syria observed that a “historic map of Israel” shows parts of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank as part of its alleged borders, stressing that sharing similar maps will not contribute to peace. Rather, it reflects Israel’s intention to continue its occupation and its hostile approach. While Syria does not intend to engage in any new conflicts, it will not abandon its rights to the occupied Syrian Golan, he said. He added: “Our region is witnessing a major political transformation that will have repercussions on the countries of the region for decades to come.”
“History will judge whether this Council rose to the occasion or faded into irrelevance,” observed Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. While the ceasefire agreement in Gaza — which came at the “devastating cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives”, he noted — was a vital first step towards peace in the Middle East, the Council must safeguard the deal and help break the cycle of violence.
Stakes are Too High for Inaction
Underscoring that “the stakes are too high for inaction”, Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, observed: “After yesterday’s silence of the guns and first exchange of hostages and prisoners, we feel a relief and a sense of hope that a different future is possible for the Middle East.” However, the region “will never truly turn a new page” so long as the suffering, hatred and fear persist, she stated, calling for leadership for people, peace and multilateralism.
“Gaza is no longer Gaza after the vast destruction that has levelled the entire area,” said Ahmed Attaf, Minister for Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs of Algeria, Council President for January, as he spoke in his national capacity. Yet, people in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, he noted — “asserting to the entire world that oppression will not hijack the will of the Palestinian people”. Urging the Council to strengthen and monitor the deal — which “represents precious hope” — he said: “The future [of Gaza] must be determined by the Palestinians, without foreign intervention.”