Israel

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the press on the Middle East, in New York today:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The UN Conference on Trade and Development’s newly released Trade and Development Report 2023 warns of a stalling global economy this year, with growth slowing in most regions and only a few countries bucking the trend. The agency calls for a change in policy direction and institutional reforms to avert a lost decade.

Pointing to ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements, demolition of Palestinian structures, daily violence and continued inflammatory rhetoric by their Government representatives, a senior United Nations official reiterated to the Security Council the Secretary-General’s appeal for an end to the occupation and a resolution of the conflict in pursuit of the two-State solution, as members echoed those calls and underlined a need to return to peace negotiations.

Highlighting the international community’ paralysis and lack of progress to hold Israel accountable for its actions, the Permanent Observer reported on preparations for the case being brought before the International Court of Justice that exposes Israel’s prolonged illegal practices and policies that deny the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, as the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People approved its annual report today.

For the first time in six years since 700,000 Rohingya women, men and children fled Myanmar to Bangladesh, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reported that decreasing funds have resulted in a reduction of refugees’ food assistance and is appealing for financial support to sustain the humanitarian response.

A political horizon for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be established amidst escalating violence and extremism on both sides, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as members condemned ongoing unilateral actions that render the prospect of a sustainable solution ever more remote.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there helped foil an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group on the village of Luna in North Kivu province.

The security situation in the West Bank has significantly deteriorated, highlighted by the most intensive Israeli operation in nearly 20 years, further jeopardizing the Israel-Palestine peace process, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

The United Nations’ humanitarian partners have concluded an initial damage assessment following the recent operation by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp. They report that 460 housing units were damaged, at least 40 families remain displaced and the camp remains largely without running water.