u.n. headquarters in new york city. ♪

>> the 9,586th meeting of the security council is called to order. at the outset of the meeting, i should like, at the request of the delegation of the russian federation, and on behalf of the members of the security council, to ask that all those present now stand and join in observing a minute of silence to present its condolences and sympathy to the government and people of russia and in the memory of victims of the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack at the concert hall in the moscow region, the russian federation on the 22nd of march. i now invite you to stand and

observe a minute of silence. i thank you. the provisional agenda for this meeting is the situation in the middle east, including the

palestinian question. the agenda is adopted. in accordance with rule 37 of the council's provinal rules of procedure, i invite the representatives of israel and yemen to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. i propose that the council invite the permanent observer of the observer state of palestine to the united nations to participate in the meeting in accordance with the provision rules of procedure and previous practice in this regard. there are no objections. it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. members of the council have before them document

s-224-254, the text of the draft resolution submitted by algeria, ecuador, gana, malta, mosambi, republic of korea, slovenia and switzerland. the council is ready to proceed to the vote of the draft resolution before you. i now give the floor to those members of the council who wish to make statements before the vote. i give the floor to the representative of mozambique. >> mr. president, i have the honor to introduce this draft resolution on behalf of the 10 elected members of the security council. namely algeria, ecuador, guyana,

japan, malta, republic of korea, sierra leon, slovenia, switzerland, and my own country mozambique. we wish to commend the presidency of japan for convening this meeting in order to take action on this important resolution on the middle east, including the palestinian question. we express our deep appreciation to all members of this council for their efforts and inputs on this draft resolution aimed at ending the catastrophic situation in the gaza strip. mr. president, the situation in gaza is a matter of grave

concern to the entire international community. indeed, the escalation of the conflict in the gaza strep and -- gaza strip and its catastrophic consequences are a clear threat to international peace and security. in this context, the e10 felt compelled to table this draft resolution before you. the 15 members of this council individually and collectively have a mandate under the charter to work for the maintenance of international peace and security, and their actions impact the entire international community. this is the strong conviction that led to the drafting of the text that we are considering

this morning. this council has been consistently unanimous in its agreement on the obligation of the parties in conflict to respect international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. d10 have always supported the call for an immediate ceasefire in gaza as a fundamental step. for this reason, and in respect for the holy month of ramadan, we have proposed the present resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire during this second period, leading to a permanent and

sustainable system. -- and sustainable cease-fire. at the same time, the draft resolution demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and emphasizes that humanitarian access must be allowed to address their medical and other humanitarian needs. these have been among our key demands for weeks. the draft resolution further demands that the parties comply with their obligations under international law, as we said before, including international humanitarian law and human rights law. the draft resolution also

emphasizes the need for the parties to abide by the pertinent resolutions adopted by this council, including resolutions 2712 and 2720 of 2023. the 10 have a consultative -- have adopted a consultative approach during the negotiation process of this text. we have consulted extensively and in good faith with all members of this council in a frank, open, and flexible manner with the aim of achieving a text that addresses the situation in gaza.

the adoption of this draft resolution will certainly be another important step this council can build upon to comprehensively address the crisis in gaza. given the utmost urgency of the situation, we call upon all members of this council, all and each member of this council, to vote in favor of this resolution. while this resolution is crucial, it is essential that we continue working towards a comprehensive ceasefire and a lasting peace in the region. i thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative of mozambique for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of the russian

federation. >> mr. president, we are extremely stunned and disappointed about the way the work on the draft resolution in the last 24 hours was done. the fact that the word permanent in op1 relating to a ceasefire is proposed to be replaced by a more weak wording was something we learned about a little more than an hour before the beginning of the meeting. that is unacceptable. well received -- we all received instructions for the vote on the text that contained the word permanent and we believe that that is of fundamental importance. all of the remaining wording leaves too broad an area for interpretation, which could allow israel to resume its military operation in the gaza strip at any moment following the expiry of the ceasefire, which we today hope

will be established. in order to avoid this scenario, we would like to make an oral amendment to the text and return the word permanent in op1, in so doing, it would read as it read in the previously issued resolution namely. >> demands in immediate cease-fire for the months of ramadan respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire and also demands the immediate and unconditional release of of all hostages as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs and further demands, that the parties comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons. >> thank you. >> i thank the representative of

the russian federation for their statement. members of the council have before them a proposed amendment submitted by the russian federation to the text of the draft resolution contained in the document s-224-254 submitted algeria, ecuador, guyana, japan, malta, mosambik, republic of korea, slovenia and switzerland. rule 36 of the council's provisional rules of procedure state when an amendment adds to or deletes from the text of a motion or draft resolution, that amendment shall be voted on first. accordingly, i intend to put the proposed amendment to the vote first.

will those in favor of the proposed amendment please raise their hand? against. abstentions. the result of the voting is as follows, three votes in favor, one vote against, 11 abstentions. the proposed amendment has not been adopted. having failed to obtain the required number of votes.

i shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document s-224-254 please there raise -- raise their hand? those against. abstentions. the result of the voting is as follows, 14 votes in favor, zero votes against, one abstention. [applause] the draft resolution has been

adopted. i now give the floor to those members of the council who wish to make statements after the vote. i give the floor to the representative of algeria. >> thank you, mr. president. i would like to thank all the council members for their flexibility and the constructive way that allowed us today to adopt this long awaited

resolution, a resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in the gaza strip. in order to put an end to the massacres that unfortunately are still ongoing over the past five months. over the past five months, the palestinian people have suffered greatly. this bloodbath has continued for far too long. it is our obligation to put an

end to this bloodbath before it is too late. finally, the security council is shouldering its responsibility as the primary organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security. it is finally responding to the cause of the international community. these repeated calls not only from the international community but also from the secretary general, mr. antonio guterres, and once again, we bring your

support to the secretary-general for his noble position and for his support to this just because. -- this just cause. despite the heinous campaigns that were launched against him, mr. president, when we voted on the draft resolution tabled by algeria last month, we promised that we will spare no effort. we will continue to work hard to make sure that the security council is abiding by its full responsibility.

we also promised that we welcome back once again -- will come back once again to knock on the doors of the security council, and here we are today alongside all 10 elected member states to convey a clear message to the palestinian people. this message is as follows, the international community in its entirety did not abandon you, feels your suffering. it

did not abandon you. mr. president, adopting today's resolution is only the beginning to meet the aspirations of the palestinian people. we look forward to the commitment and the compliance of the israeli occupying power with this resolution for them to put an end to the blood bath without any conditions to end the suffering of the palestinian people. it is the responsibility of the security council to ensure the

implementation of the provision of this resolution. in conclusion, mr. president, i reaffirm the algeria will return once again before the security council under the instructions of his excellency, the president of the republic, to make sure that palestine returns to its natural status as a full-fledged member. a sovereign member state of the united nations. i thank you. >> i thank the representative of algeria for their statement. i give the floor to the represented of of the united states. >> thank you, mr. president.

at the top, i want to express my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of last week's terrorist attack in moscow. we condemn terrorism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the russian people in grieving the loss of life from this horrific event. colleagues, today, this council spoke out in support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the united states, qatar, egypt, to bring about an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, secure the immediate release of all hostages and help alleviate the tremendous suffering of palestinian civilians in gaza who are in dire need of protection and lifesaving humanitarian assistance. the united states fully supports these critical

objectives. in fact, they were the foundation of the resolution we put forward last week. a resolution that russia and china vetoed. but colleagues, the united states' support for these objectives is not simply rhetorical, we're working around the clock to make them real on the ground and through the policy -- and through diplomacy because we know that it is only through diplomacy that we can push this agenda forward. we're getting closer to a deal for an immediate cease-fire with the release of all hostages but we are not there yet. now let's be clear, a ceasefire could have come about months ago if hamas had been willing to release hostages. months ago. instead hamas continues to stand in the way of peace. to throw up roadblocks,

cower in tunnels beneath gaza cities and behind under civilian infrastructure and hide among the civilian population. so today my ask to members of this council and to member states in every region of the world, speak out and demand unequivocally that hamas accepts the deal on the table. now i hope i'm wrong. i really do. but i don't expect that from russia and china. especially because they still can't bring themselves to come dense -- to condemn hamas' terro rist attack on october 7. just last week russia and china vetoed a resolution that condemned this horrific attack. a resolution the vast majority of this council supported. they have shown time and time again that they are not actually interested in advancing a durable peace through diplomatic efforts. nor for all their rhetoric are they interested in making any meaningful contributions to

humanitarian efforts. instead they are using this devastating conflict to try to divide this council at a time when we need to come together. it is deeply cynical and we should all see through it. colleagues, we appreciated the willingness of members of this council to take some of our edits and improve on this resolution. still, certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of hamas. and we did not agree with everything in the resolution. for that reason, we were unfortunately not able to vote yes. however, as i've said before, we fully support some of the critical objectives in this nonbinding resolution and we believe it was important for the council to speak out and make clear that are cease-fire must -- any cease-fire must come with the release of all hostages. indeed, as i've said before, the

only path to a durable end to this conflict is the release of all hostages. critically, a ceasefire and the release of hostages will allow much more humanitarian aid to get into gaza at a time when famine is looming large and provide an opportunity to work toward a sustainable cessation of hostilities toward a future where hamas can no longer threaten israel and never repeat october 7th and no longer control gaza and use civilians as shields. toward a future where palestinians and israelis live side-by-side in peace in two democratic states of their own. something that will never happen with hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of israel and the killing of jews, a terrorist organization this

still fails to condemn hamas. we meet during the holy month of ramadan, this should be a reason of peace for muslim committees around the world. just as october 7 should have been a day of peace for jewish communities. this resolution rightly acknowledges that during the month of ramadan, we must recommit to peace. hamas can do that by accepting the deal on the table. a ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage. and so we must put pressure on hamas to do just that. this is the only path to securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages. as we have all called for today. that is what this resolution means. a ceasefire of any duration must come with the release of hostages. this is the only path. thank you very much, mr.

president. >> i thank the representative of the united states for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of slovenia. >> thank you very much, mr. president. today is an important day. most of all, we hope it will signal an important day for the people of the middle east. a day that will help silence the guns, stop the killing, free the hostages as well as bring some calm and clear the skies over gaza. the day that marks the beginning of the end of pain and suffering for civilians. this is a significant day for the elected members. we found our voice of an unifying force inside the council. this is the reason why we are on the council. we showed the leadership for peace, and it is a good day for

the whole counsel, as we aligned our efforts and decision with the calls coming from the un general assembly and the un secretary-general. from the humanitarian organizations and from the world public. we demonstrated that we can find unity for peace, a small step in rebuilding trust in the counsel. today's resolution is just the beginning. we will need more of this unity for gaza as well as for many other conflicts. and slovenia is ready -- and slovenia is ready. mr. president, i don't need but i wish to thank my colleagues the elected members as we went through the process together. this is slovenia's third month on the council. and we are looking forward to many more joint ventures together in search of peace. i wanted to thank the permanent members for giving us a chance for having trust in the power of

the eu10 and for being patient during negotiations. mr. president, we deliver the strongest signal thus far, we demand an immediate ceasefire for the month of ramadan, leading to lasting sustainable cease-fire. it is a call we have all been desperate to hear from the counsel. a short and focused resolution is a firm sign from the council that this conflict must stop. it offers an opportunity for peace for palestinians and an opportunity for diplomatic efforts, including those of egypt, qatar, and the u.s. to continue. we express our appreciation for the commitment of the secretary general. un staff members on the ground, humanitarian coordinators as well as for the leadership of different u.n. agencies, humanitarian and health organizations including unra.

we recall the binding nature of the security council resolutions and call for swift implementation of this clear resolution. in particular with regards to the ceasefire the unconditional release of hostages and the urgent need for expansion of the flow of humanitarian aid. we also reiterate our call for full respect of international law including international humanitarian law and human rights law. thank you. >> i thank the representative of slovenia for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of the republic of korea. >> thank you, mr. president. today's adoption of the resolution proposed by the e10 including the republic of korea has a historic meaning in that it is the very first resolution by this council that demands a ceasefire in gaza after numerous attempts by the council and consistent

appeals by the u.n. secretary general and so on amid rising death tolls. it is also significant that this is the first ever resolution introduced by the e10 and adopted on a security council regional agenda item. as one of the e10, the republic of korea is pleased by today's adoption of the resolution and commends the dedicated efforts of all e10 colleagues, including mozambique, the coordinator, algeria, representing the views of the arab world, and japan, the presidency of the council, in the process of drafting and negotiating the resolution. in addition, we appreciate the cooperation of the p5 in particular the u.s. for its

sincere and utmost coordination with the e10 in the spirit of compromise. in order for today's resolution to have concrete significance, beyond the internal politics of the security council, it must have a tangible impact on the situation in the gaza strip by saving the lives of innocent civilians and easing the humanitarian crisis. the situation on the ground in gaza must be different before and after this resolution. this will only be possible when both israel and hamas respect and faithfully implement this resolution. even though it is not explicitly coercive under chapter 7 of the charter, the parties to the conflict must bear in mind that this resolution reflects the consensus of the international community forged through active discussion in the security council and general assembly for more than

five months. the most important thing is implementing the ceasefire starting right now. as defined in the resolution violence and firing must be ceased immediately. hostages taken by hamas and other groups must be returned to their families right away. barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance must be lifted. the entire international community must also actively cooperate to save civilian lives and overcome acute food insecurity through humanitarian aid at scale. restore basic public order and improve gaza's fundamental public services, including health and sanitation. and based on these achievements, preparations for redoubled political and diplomatic dialogue to

resolve the palestinian question in the long term must commence step-by-step. all parties will have to take a step back and respond to the global call to participate in the cause of restoring peace and humanity. i thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative of the republic of korea for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of marta. >> thank you, president. at the offset, i wish to express our condolences to the russian federation for the atrocious terrorist attack of last week. we condemn all terrorism in all its forms. malta was proud to be in this resolution which we have just adopted which calls for a cease-fire for the month of ramadan, leading to a lasting sustainable cease-fire. with this resolution, the security council has clearly spoken out on the urgent and

pressing need to stop the fighting. mrs. critical to -- this is critical to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in gaza. this resolution must now be immediately and unconditionally implemented by all parties. the fighting needs to stop without further delays. all hostages must be safely released. on this occasion, we also express our appreciation and support for the ongoing negotiations by egypt, qatar, and the united states. we sincerely hope that these diplomatic efforts can lead to tangible results in the coming days. meanwhile, humanitarian access to the gaza strip is of critical importance to avert the risk of famine. there is the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance and in demanding the lifting of all barriers preventing the

necessary humanitarian assistance as requested by this resolution. in closing, a sustainable ceasefire must also be accompanied by a political urgency to build a durable foundation for peace. malta reaffirms its commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the conflict based on a two-state solution along the pre-1967 borders addressing the legitimate aspirations of both sides with jerusalem as a future capital of two states, israel and palestine, living side by side in peace and security in line with the relevant security council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters. thank you. >> i thank the representative of malta for their statement. i give the floor to the represented above france -- representative of france. >> mr. president, france

welcomes the adoption of resolution 2728, more than 5 months after the beginning of the crisis in gaza caused by the terrorists attacked waged by hamas, it was high time for the security council to act. it was high time for it to establish a ceasefire, it was high time for it to demand the release of hostages. it was high time for it to call for comprehensive humanitarian access and mass aid at a time when famine is rife in gaza. the adoption of this resolution demonstrates that the security council can still act when all of its members make the necessary effort to discharge their mandate. i wish this connection to personally commend the permanent representative of the united states for the role played. security council's -- the security council's silence on gaza was becoming

deafening. it is high time now for the council to finally contribute to finding a solution to this crisis. this crisis is not over. our counsel will have to remain mobilized and immediately get back to work. it will have to following ramadan which finishes in two weeks. it will have to establish a permanent cease-fire. it will need to strive to see the recovery and stabilization of gaza finally and above all the security council will have to get a political process back on track. a political process aiming to bring about the two state solution. the only solution able to guarantee peace. our council of course cannot replace the parties but its role will be a pivotal one. france will shoulder its response abilities and will propose in the coming days and initiative within the security council. i think you. -- i thank you. >> i thank the representative of

france for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of switzerland. >> thank you, mr. president. switzerland voted in favor of the strap resolution and welcomes its adoption by the security council. this is at last a sign of hope. this vote should mark a return to greater humanity in the middle east conflict. human dignity and decency must define us as a global community. this is how the secretary general of the united nations who together with all of the humanitarians working i would like to thank. they underlined this yesterday at the rafa crossing. today's vote demonstrates the importance and the weight that elected members can have when the council's blockages disrupt the fulfillment of its mandate. switzerland worked tirelessly

with all the council members who i would like to thank here to get this resolution adopted always in a spirit of solidarity and constructive, mindful of the mandate entrusted to us by the general assembly when it like that us -- elected us and our own priority which is to protect civilians. we had a clear common objective to send the parties to the conflict a clear and unequivocal request for an immediate ceasefire leading to a lasting cease-fire. a sustainable cease-fire. it was high time that the council agrees on this demand. an immediate ceasefire is a priority step, but it is only the first step given the catastrophic humanitarian situation in gaza. . for almost six months, civilians starting with children and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons have been facing deadly bombardments with the risk of famine and epidemics instead of going to school or work safely. this must stop immediately. the implementation of this

resolution must help to provide the civilian population with the humanitarian aid they need. through every possible means of access. as well as to provide medical care, restore medical infrastructure, relieve the burden on medical personnel and enable them to carry out their mission without danger. the resolution also makes a clear demand for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. who they too along with their families must be allowed to return home safe and sound. their capture during the attacks of terror of october the 7th which switzerland strongly condemns contravenes international law. today's outcome is a clear call to all parties to cease hostilities and finally fully respect their obligations under international law. in particular international humanitarian and human rights law. for the resolution, we have just adopted to be effectively

implemented the immediate ceasefire must lead without delay to a lasting sustainable ceasefire, similarly given the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that a large scale operation in rafa would have on the civilian population and humanitarian operations such an operation must be avoided. the secretary general said yesterday at the rafa crossing it's time to silence the guns. hope is being able to see the light in spite of the darkness. with the adoption of the resolution today, it is now time to regain hope and to work together relentlessly towards a prospect of lasting peace, a two state solution where israelis and palestinians can live side by side in peace and security and dignity. thank you. >> i think the representative of switzerland for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of china.

>> i thank you, mr. president. mr. president, china voted in favor of the draft resolution that has just been put to the vote. we thank algeria, mozambique, and other elected council members for their efforts. last friday, the security council voted on the other draft resolution proposed by the united states on the situation in gaza. china together with algeria and russia voted against it. a comparison of the two drafts shows the differences the current draft is unequivocal and correct in its direction. demanding an immediate cease-fire. while the previous one has been evasive and ambiguous.

the current draft demands an unconditional cease-fire, while the previous one has set preconditions for cease-fire. the current draft reflects the general expectations of the international community and enjoys the collective support of the arab states, while the previous one has been jointly rejected by the arab states. the differences between the two drafts boil down to nothing but whether there should be an immediate and unconditional cease-fire, and whether the collective punishment of the people of gaza should be allowed to continue. on this issue, china like most members of the international committee has been very clear from the very outset. whether we voted against it last

friday or in favor of it today, our vote was based on our consistent position and prepositions. after repeated vetos of the council actions, the united states finally decided to stop obstructing the council's demand for an immediate cease-fire. despite all this, the u.s. still tried to find all kinds of excuses and made accusations against china. the eyes of the international community are open and discerning. the acquisitions of the u.s. are untenable. on the contrary, it's because of china and other countries concerned, because of our upholding of principles and justice, then we force the u.s.

to realize that it cannot continue to obstruct the efforts of the council to move in the right direction and take the decisive step. and justice will prevail in the end. mr. president, nearly six months after the outbreak of the gaza conflict, over 32,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives. for the lives that have already perished, the council resolution today comes too late. but for the millions of in gaza who remain mired in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, this resolution if fully and wholly implemented could still bring long-awaited hope. security council resolutions are binding. we call on the parties concerned to fulfill their obligations

under the united nations charter and to take due action as required by the resolution . we expect the state with significant influence to play a positive role on the party concerned. including by using all necessary and effective means at their disposal to support the implementation of the resolution to cease all harm to civilians immediately. and the offensive against gaza must be prevented at once. a cease-fire during the month of ramadan is only the first step that must serve as a basis, leading to a lasting sustainable cease-fire. on the early return of the people of gaza, who are forced to flee their homes. at the same time, the blockade of gaza and the man-made

barriers to access of humanitarian supplies must be lifted immediately to ensure that humanitarian supplies enter gaza in sufficient quantities, expeditiously, to reach people in need in a safe and timely manner. we appreciate humanitarian agencies for their efforts. israel must fully cooperate to open rafah and other land crossings. this is indefensible and replaceable for the people of gaza to improve steve humanitarian assistance. we urge all parties restore funding as soon as possible. we categorically reject israel's recent vicious campaign of attacks against the united nations system as a whole. we welcome the efforts of egypt,

the united states and qatar to release the hostages and expect the release of all hostages and detainees and their urging -- early return home. mr. president, the security council, based on the adopted resolution today, continues to follow closely the situation in gaza and get ready for further actions when necessary. and ensure the timely and full implementation of its resolutions. china will continue to make unremitting urging to the ending of fighting in gaza and implement the two states solution. thank you, mr. president. >> thank you to the representative of china for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of ecuador. >> thank you, mr. president.

ecuador condemns the terrorist attacks in moscow. we express solidarity with the families of the victims and the russian people. the resolution we have considered gives us an idea of how elected members can prepare a text that it is acceptable to all members of the council. it allows the council to speak out in a timely fashion to assert -- to a humanitarian situation. this demands a cease-fire for the month of ramadan which will bring relief to the civilian population. at the same time it demands the immediate release of all hostages and deplores violence against civilians and all victims of acts of terrorism including the acts committed by hamas in october. the text takes note of the assets egypt, -- the efforts

egypt, qatar and the u.s. are making. we hope their efforts will bear fruit. ecuador voted in favor of the draft resolution and we are delighted it has been adopted. we value the flexibility shown on this allocation by all members to the situation as urgent as it is in gaza. we must together ensure this resolution is completely effectively and immediately implemented. thank you. >> i thank the representative of ecuador for their statement. i give the door to the representative of guyana. >> thank you mr. president. guyana condemns the terrorist attacks that occurred in moscow and extends condolences to the government and people of russia. mr. president, colleagues, guyana is pleased that the council has finally been able to

adopt a resolution that demands an immediate cease-fire for the month of ramadan leading to a lasting and sustainable cease-fire. after more than five months of a war of terror and destruction, a cease-fire is the difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of palestinians and others. this demand comes after significant time, as palestinians are observing the holy month of ramadan. sadly this year's ramadan is different for palestinians, fatally different. their observance began as people weep over the killings of their loved ones while bombs and bullets fall indiscriminately around them. 17,000 children began ramadan as orphans due to the war. 70,000 families began ramadan without a home, on rubble. 290,000 homes, severely damaged.

instead of being in their homes, the sacred place where they usually pray, break fast and commune with family and friends during this holy month, three quarters of the population of gaza are displaced. ramadan is a time for families to join for a nightly feast, time to share food and blessings with the less fortunate. for people in gaza, there is starvation and we are seeing evidence of a man-made famine. all of this when there is food available but deliberately withheld. women and children are disproportionately impacted. they represent the majority of those killed. children and pregnant and lactating women are at higher risk of mortality due to lack of adequate nutrition. at the same time, the anguish of the families of the hostages held in gaza continues to mount with no clear prospect for the return of their loved ones.

palestinians experience the same anguish waiting for their relatives who are illegally detained in israel to come home. they emphasize the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. we demand the release of palestinians held in israeli jails without trial. mr. president and colleagues, the reality is that the population of gaza has worsened as the occupying power continues atrocities. given these realities and the consensus by elected members of this council that we must act, guyana collaborated with fellow elected members to put forward this draft resolution for immediate cease-fire, the unconditional release of hostages, and expanding u.n. humanitarian assistance. we thank the coordinator, the commissioner and the desert --

dedication of mozambique for leadership on the process. we thank our colleagues for finally, collectively doing right by the palestinian people. it is long overdue but still the right thing to have done, to stop the indignities against the palestinian people. this is just the beginning. the task before us is to secure full compliance with this resolution and its predecessors, including 2712 and 2720. in this regard guyana calls for full adherence to these resolutions. finally, mr. president, dear colleagues, the holy month of ramadan will and in a mere 15 days. it is essential that this council and those with influence on the parties immediately redouble efforts to bring about the lasting and sustainable cease-fire this resolution calls for, to secure the release of

hostages and massively scale up humanitarian assistance. this is absolutely necessary to save lives, begin reconstruction of gaza, and create a free state of palestine with which israel peacefully coexist. thank you. >> i think the representative of guyana for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of sierra leone. >> mr. president. sierra leone expresses deepest condolences to the government and people of the russian federation following the heinous attacks last week. terrorism and acts of terrorism in all forms and manifestations are condemnable and unjustifiable. mr. president, the consideration of adoption of resolution 2728,

was born out of the need to address the current plight of the palestinians in the gaza strip. especially during this holy month of ramadan, a time traditionally feel -- filled with peace, love and devotion among families and communities. we recognize the palestinian people's collective trouble facing each day and loss, displacement and hunger. with that in mind, the resolution adopted builds on the u.n. charter including the responsibility of the security council in the united nations collective security steam. to act as mandated and the establishment of a moral and clinical imperative. the security council demands an immediate cease-fire of the month of ramadan, respected by all parties leading to a lasting, sustainable cease-fire.

the fighting must stop. the killings must stop. the suffering and punishment must and. the parties of the conflict are under obligation to respect the demand of the security council. the parties are to fully were -- implement the resolution, as well as others. states with influence will apply pressure on the parties to implement these resolutions. we continue to support the diplomatic efforts of egypt, qatar and the united states is complementary to the efforts and demands of the security council. the resolution just adopted demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as ensuring humanitarian access to medical and other humanitarian needs. taking of hostages is illegal

under international law. mr. president, the resolution adopted demands the party to the conflict complied with obligations under international law. this is enforced by the council's demand for the parties to comply with obligation of international law including humanitarian law to protect all civilians, deplore attacks against civilians and civilian objects, violence and hostility against civilians and all acts of terrorism. half the population in the gaza strip are facing acute suffering, with famine. the emphasis on the need to expand humanitarian assistance and enforce protection of civilians in the gaza strip is significant. this demand is enforced by the creation of the further demand for the listing -- lifting of

humanitarian assistance at scale. the needs of the palestinians in the gaza strip is restoring their human dignity. similarly the resolution recognizes the dignity of the hostages and detainees. mr. president, the federation -- although not in the explanation, we are compelled to ensure the objective of a cease-fire is met . the conflict impacts more than palestinian civilians, therefore the demand for an immediate cease-fire for ramadan must lead to a lasting, sustainable cease-fire. it must lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities and for israel and palestine to live side-by-side in peace, security and stability. the cease fire must lead to a path of a two state solution. we will continue support for a

two state solution, the only viable path to end the occupation and resolve this prolonged conflict. thank you. >> i think the representative from sierra leone for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. >> i would like to start by offering the uk's sincere condolences for the terrorist attacks at the crocus city hall near moscow. our sympathy go to the families of the many victims. president, the united kingdom has long been calling for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire, without a return to disrupt -- destruction, fighting and loss of life is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in.

that is what the resolution called for and why the united kingdom voted yes on this text. president, israel continues to reckon with the brutal horror of the october 7 attacks. and innocent hostages continue to be held by hamas in gaza. israel has a right to defend itself and ensure such an attack can never happen again. we regret that this resolution has not condemned the terrorist attacks perpetrated by hamas on the seventh of october. the u.k. condemned these attacks unequivocally this resolution sets out the urgent demand for the unconditional release of all hostages, and we welcome the ongoing diplomatic efforts by

egypt, qatar and the united states to this and. -- to this end. the intense suffering of palestinian civilians in gaza shows no signs of abating. as a humanitarian catastrophe unfolds before our eyes. the resolution sends a clear and united message on the need for international humanitarian law to be upheld, and for aid to be scaled up urgently, including the lifting of all barriers impeding its delivery. president, the u.k. foreign secretary and prime minister have reiterated these messages in our contact with prime minister netanyahu and other senior israeli political leaders in recent weeks. we call for this resolution to

be implemented immediately. president, we need to focus on how we chart the way from an immediate humanitarian pause to a lasting, sustainable peace without a return to fighting. that means the formation of a new palestinian government of the west bank and gaza, accompanied by international support package. it provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two state solution. of israel and palestine living side-by-side in security and peace.

thank you. >> i think the representative of the united kingdom for their statement. i give the floor to the representative of the russian federation. mr. president. distinguished colleagues. russia voted in favor of the draft resolution prepared by the 10 nonpermanent members of the security council. it is important the un security council for the first time is demanding the parties, the observance of an immediate cease-fire, even if it is limited to the month of ramadan. unfortunately, what happened after that that -- what happens after that ends is unclear. the word lasting could be interpreted in various ways. that is very telling.

those who are providing cover for israel want to give it freehand. we very much want to believe this wording will be used in the interest of peace rather than advancing the inhumane israeli operation against the palestinians. the words permanent would be more precise and we are disappointed it did not make it through. nevertheless, we believe it does the mentally important to vote in favor of peace. the security council must continue to work on achieving a permanent cease-fire. we also note what is contained in the resolution, the demand for immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, on the 22nd of march there was another tragic day in the history of the security council when through

intrigue and blackmail, they tried to put us on the wrong path and adopt a document that didn't contain a demand or at least a call for a cease-fire, but essentially was presented as the representative of algeria said, as a license for the further killing of palestinians. neither we nor our algerian and chinese colleagues could allow for that. from the first day of the escalation in the conflict zone the russian delegation has been howling on the security council to respond to the unprecedented upsurge in violence with precise and unambiguous demand for a permanent cease-fire in the gaza strip. in so doing, fulfilling its mandate for international peace and security. during the vote on our amendment we once again saw the face of our colleagues on the security council and we realized who

truly wants to end, rather than suspend, the inhumane israeli operation. we would like to point out the following. what took place today is a response to those who criticize the veto power of the permanent members of the security council, because if we haven't used it, on the 22nd of march, instead of a text that could end the violence in the gaza strip, we could have ended up with a harmful text in the u.s. resolution that not only didn't demand a cease-fire but also essentially would have given israel a license to continue its actions against the palestinians, including an rafah. in conclusion i would like to remind the u.s. representative, who time and again accuses the council of not being able to condemn attacks on israel and russia of not being able to condemn terrorist attacks, on

the 18th of october, the u.s. delegation had an opportunity to adopt the brazilian draft resolution with a clear condemnation of the seventh of october and with a humanitarian force. yet in that wording, that was insisted upon by washington, i remind you at that time the delegation of russia when voting on the resolution, abstained but the united states vetoed the brazilian text, therefore you should only impede yourselves. we must not return to this moment endlessly. the hamas actions have been repeatedly condemned by all members of the security company -- counsel. israel responded with the collective punishment of the palestinian people, the result

of which, more than 32,000 innocent citizens have died. the majority of whom are women and children. think about those numbers. i would also like to remind you that immediately and unambiguously, russia condemned what place on the seventh of october and there is no need to speculate on that. you -- we know firsthand what international terror rib -- he is. we faced a monstrous manifestation of it. it is brutal, the brutal face of terrorism once again. the 22nd of march terrorist attack on our country. it took at least 143 entirely innocent lives. at the very least, 143 innocent civilians who were shot in cold blood and we have faced such

manifestations of terrorism in the 1990's and we suffered heavy losses as a result. we are grateful to all those who today express condolences. thank you. >> i thank the representative of the russian federation for their statement. i shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative from japan. the humanitarian situation in gaza is catastrophic, even during the holy month of ramadan. the imminence of famine, nearly 1.5 one million people in rafah struggling for survival. we deeply mourn the tens of thousands of lives lost in the conflict stemming from october 7 terrorist attack and thereafter on the ground.

in this vein, it is absolutely essential for the security council to demand an immediate cease-fire for ramadan respected by all parties, leading to lasting, sustainable cease-fire in gaza. all council members to demand an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, ensuring humanitarian access. this is why japan is one of the core pen holders and tabled the draft resolution. we welcome the resolution posed by the time today. we strongly support the ongoing efforts, including the talks towards a cease-fire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages. we believe the cease-fire could build a path towards stable

peace and security in the region, which is what the international community voices to us every day. japan will continue to work to achieve that path. thank you. i resume function as the president of the council. i know give the floor to the observer state of palestine. >> mr. president. i wish to begin my statement by conveying deepest condolences of the government, people, and my good friends. our condolences to the russian federation following the horrific terrorist attack in moscow. we express our sympathy to the

bereaved families and stand in solidarity with our russian brothers and sisters in these difficult days. mr. president, it has taken six months. over 100,000 palestinians killed and maimed. 2 million displaced, and famine, for the council to finally demand an immediate cease-fire vote for humanity to prevail, for life to prevail. the palestinians in gaza pleaded and appealed, shouted, cried, cursed, prayed, defied the odds to survive time and time again. and yet continue to face death,

destruction and displacement, deprivation and disease and an occupation made famine. there are bombs besieged, people buried under the rubble of the houses they built. they are killed in their homes, in the streets, in hospitals and ambulances, in u.n. shelters and even intense -- in tents. the ordeal must come to an end. it must come to an immediate and now. as we speak, families prepare to break their fast, missing loved ones around the table. they may find nothing to put on their children's plate. in fact, there is no home sheltering them. there is no table to gather

around, and no plates to fill and no food to eat. they lost their homes. they lost loved ones. some of them are still trapped under the rubble. imagine being a parent with kids under the rubble and others alive. feeling broken, but force to go on for those who remain. yesterday, palestinian christians celebrated palm sunday in besieged and destroyed churches that have become shelters in gaza. they gathered, surrounded by death and praying for resurrection. palestinian families cannot mourn or heal.

they have to find a way to survive and help what is left of their family survived. mr. president, when such atrocities are being committed in broad daylight against defenseless civilians, including women and children, the right thing to do, the only thing to do morally, legally, politically, is to put an end to it. there can be no justification for war crimes. crimes against humanity and genocide. accepting any justification for such crimes is renouncing our humanity and destroying the rule of international law beyond repair. mr. president, two months ago, the highest international court

determined there was a real and imminent threat of irreparable harm to the plausible rights of palestinians under the genocide convention. it ordered israel to undertake immediate measures in relation to its mass and indiscriminate killing of palestinians, to driving -- depriving palestinians of essential good for their survival, to the incitement to genocide. instead of implementing this mandatory order by the court, israel is doubled down in the commission of its crimes. your leaders have said in no uncertain terms that israel is responsible for the famine and the war in gaza and they use

starvation as a method of war. they have called on israel not to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip. they spoke of a man-made disaster, meaning the israeli occupation made disaster. they have called repeatedly on israel to stop its indiscriminate bombing and spare civilian lives to no avail. they have called repeatedly on israel give civilians safe haven. instead, it attacked them even in hospitals and u.n. shelters. it attacked them in the very places it asked them to heed to. it has killed them if they stayed and killed them if they left. and now, it continues to

threaten a ground operation in rafah, where it has pushed them and confined them at the very edge of the gaza strip in yet another attempt to forcibly displace our people. instead of heating these calls, israel has attacked those making them. it continues in particular it's incitement against the u.n. it secretary-general, whom we salute him this space. if agencies, notably the lifeline in gaza. the israeli prime minister wrote that they cooperate with terrorist and the you and -- this u.n. has become under the leadership of antonio guterres

and antisemitic and nt he is really body that shelters and emboldens terror. this outrageous incitement has real-life consequences for the u.n. and humanitarian staff. underground, who are targets for attacks, who are killed, arrested and tortured, humiliated and harassed. it has also realized consequences for palestinians and israel has used it as a pretext to block humanitarian aid to be distributed by and more. it is time for israeli actions to trigger a serious international reaction, one that enforces consequences for these crimes rather than just pleas

that israel continues to dismiss. there is no humanity when our lives are treated as expendable. there are no rules without enforcement. israel has been treated as a state of of the law for so long that it deals it no longer has to hide when acting as an outlaw state. from ethnic cleansing to genocide. our agony is caused by israeli actions, but also by the impunity it has been afforded. by the fact that countries have not taken decisive measures to stop it, and many continue call it and treat it as an ally even while it is committing such

atrocities. mr. president, we express our appreciation to all of you. for having put forward this resolution. and we welcome its adoption by the council. we thank algeria for representing us and all the arab countries in this endeavor. we salute arab unity and demand immediate cease-fire. this must be a turning point. this must lead to saving lives on the ground. this must signal the end of this assault of atrocities against our people. a nation is being murdered. a nation is being dispossessed.

a nation is being displaced. for decades now, but never at this scale. never this openly. from 1948 to 2024, we have injured. we have survived. we have resurrected. only to face death once again. life must prevail in gaza. must prevail. freedom must prevail in palestine. for six months now, every single palestinian in gaza has endured

untold suffering, loss, pain and tragedy. this must stop now. palestinian hostages, palestinian victims are not less deserving of compassion and empathy, of outrage and solidarity. they must be flee from fear and want -- freed from fear and want, from siege and occupation, from jeff and displacement. families must be reunited and start to heal, at least from the wounds that can actually be healed. they must be given the chance to bury their loved ones, and mourn their loss, to rebuild, even if

the cease-fire happened now and the siege was lifted now, it would take generations to deal with the trauma and the devastation. mr. president, now that this counsel has finally called for a cease-fire, all forces should coalesce to make sure it is in worst. apologies to those who the war has failed, to those that could have been saved and were not. save the lives of those who survive. against all odds. tell them, help is on the way. hold accountable those who inflicted such suffering upon them. end this injustice. end it now.

all of this is long overdue and i thank you very much, mr. president. >> i thank the permanent observer of the observer state of palestine for his statement. i give the floor to the representative from israel. >> thank you, mr. president. mr. president, at the outset i want to express my deepest condolences to the russian people and the families of all the big terms of the heinous terror attack on friday. terror must always be condemned in the harshest terms. the security council was justifiably quick, very quick to condemn friday's terror attacks in russia. just as it was waiting no time to condemn the terror attack in iran against a police station in

december. yet still, to this day the council refuses to condemn the most widespread and barbaric massacre suffered by the jewish people since the holocaust. at least 137 people were murdered at the concert hall in russia on friday by radical jihadists. almost six months ago, nearly 400 people were murdered at a music in israel by the radical jihadists of hamas. why does the security council discriminate between russian murdered at the concert and israelis murdered at the music festival? civilians, dear colleagues, no matter where they live, deserve to enjoy music in safety and security. the security council should have

the moral clarity to condemn such acts of terror equally without discrimination. sadly, today as well this counsel refused to condemn the october 7 massacre. this is a disgrace. colleagues, it was the hamas massacre that started this war. i repeat, it was the hamas massacre that started this work. nearly six months of past and the security council still has not condemned the child murdering rapists that began this war. the resolution just voted upon makes it seem as if the war started by itself. let me set the record straight. israel did not start this war, nor did israel want this war. israel disengaged and withdrew from gaza 18 years ago. we wanted a cease-fire and

coexistence. you can repeat your slogans and purport to know for the palestinians what the palestinians seek, but this won't make it the truth or the reality. the palestinian representative is lying when he says his people want to live side-by-side with israel. by the way, as you probably know, he doesn't represent hamas. he doesn't represent the gazans. they did not choose him to speak for them. his leader refuses to even condemn the massacre and he continued to -- after israel withdrew from gaza of palestinians elected hamas, a terrorist organization. they elected a terror organization. hamas convicted -- converted every inch of gaza into a

terrible war machine under the u.n. knows. hamas initiated attacks on israeli civilians throughout the past 18 years. thousands and thousands of indiscriminate rockets and missiles at civilians. today, hamas is the most popular movement among palestinians. according to every poll, the vast majority of palestinians support hamas' massacre on october 7, and gaza and judea and samaria. this is the reality you should face and address. while the resolution fails to cut down hamas, -- condemn hamas, it should -- it states something that should be the driving moral words. it denounces the taking of hostages, recalling that it is in violation of international law.

taking innocent civilians hostage is a war crime and there is no arguing this is what hamas committed. the release of the hostages should have been the number one priority. when it comes to bringing hostages home, the security council must not settle her words alone, but take action, real action. it is unfathomable that when it comes to releasing the hostages, we still only see in action. not a single step has been taken by the council aside from symbolic words or give yet when it comes to the situation in gaza, the council rushed to take action. you appointed a special coordinator and established a monetary mechanism. the council visited lafayette to see aid shipments stand. the secretary-general -- has visited rafah crossings twice. why do our hostages not receive

concrete action? what have you done to advance their release? colleagues following this counsel's adoption of the bills that co-for the release of all hostages, hamas didn't stop to even contemplate for one moment. it should be clear that as long as hamas refuses to release the hostages and the diplomatic channels, there is no other way to secure their return of their were done through a military operation. on the one hand, the resolution says taking civilian hostages is in violation of international law. yes. on the other hand, despite the fact that you know hamas will listen to your calls and release the hostages, you demand a cease-fire -- will not listen to

your calls and release the hostages, you demand a cease-fire and think about this moral contradiction. your demand for a cease-fire without conditioning it on the release of the hostages not only is not helpful, but it undermines, undermines the efforts to secure their release. it is harmful to these efforts because it gives hamas' terrible wrists, it gives hamas terrorists hope to get a cease-fire without releasing the hostages. all members of the council, all members should have voted against this shameful resolution . mr. president, where are these council's actions? why don't you designate hamas as a terror organization? even if there are councilmembers here who would present this due

to political alliances with hamas leadership, where are the moral efforts to advance such a designation? i wish to suggest an alternative text that should have been adopted by the council if it wasn't so biased against israel. the security council strongly condemns and deplores all abuses of human right and where applicable, violations of humanitarian law by the terrorist group, including those involving violence against civilian populations, notably women and children, kidnapping, killing, hostage taking, pillaging, rape, sexual slavery and other sexual violence, recruitment of children and destruction of civilian property. the security council demands that the terrorist group immediately and unequivocally

cease all hostilities and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law and disarm and demobilize. the security council demands the immediate and unconditional release of all those adopted -- abducted who remained in captivity. the security council recognizes some of suck acts -- such acts may be crimes against humanity. i didn't draft this text. do you know who did? this counsel. this was adopted by the council 10 years ago when boko haram kidnapped the schoolgirls in nigeria. i ask again, why can this counsel call on boko haram to lay down arms but the same cannot be demanded of the murderous hamas terrorists? is the life of this baby less

than the life of a nigerian child? sadly, it is for the same reason why you can't condemned terrorist acts in russia and iran but not israel. israeli blood is cheap to this counsel. this is a travesty, and i am disgusted. thank you, mr. president. >> i finished the representative of israel there statement. i give the door to the representative of yemen. -- the floor to the representative of yemen. >> thank you mr. president. it is my honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the arab group. at the outset i would like to congratulate you and congratulate japan on presiding over the council for this month. i thank you for holding this session. we would also like to express our condolences to our

colleagues in the russian delegation as well as the russian government and people for the terrorist act that claimed the lives of dozens of victims. we condemn this terrorist act and we condemn terrorism in all its arms. the arab group would like to thank the e 10 for tabling this concise and humanitarian draft resolution that was adopted by the security council. the resolution expressly calls for an immediate cease-fire in gaza during the holy month of ramadan, leading to a permanent and sustainable cease-fire. given the urgency of this call from the arab group and the international community as a whole, especially in light of

the dangerous and catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in gaza which cannot be attacked then -- accepted or tolerated. the arab group would like to express appreciation to all members of the sick rarity counsel that engage in a positive manner in negotiations on the draft resolution and we value the position of member states that voted in favor of this urgent humanitarian resolution. we also welcome the adoption of the resolution 2728 which gives priority to the humanitarian dimension in order to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of palestinians, to make sure the security council once again is shouldering its legal and moral responsibilities and maintaining international peace and security and to end the

bloodbath in gaza. the arab group reaffirms we should consider this resolution as a first step leading to another binding resolution that stipulates the immediate cease-fire in the gaza strip to compel israel to immediately and without any preconditions, peace -- cease the war it launched against the gaza strip. we reaffirm the efforts to reach an agreement on the exchange of prisoners and detainees and the execution of a truce, this does not run counter to the call for an immediate cease-fire, as this call would contribute to facilitating and enhancing these efforts. mr. president, this counsel has been the hostage of political calculations and narrow interests that disregard the

humanitarian and legal right to save lives, stem the bloodshed and delivered urgent assistance to those in need without any obstacles. this lies at the heart of the responsibilities and functions of this counsel, adopting today's resolution comes as a response, albeit late, to palestinian victims and the calls of the international community for an immediate cease-fire in gaza. we do hope that you will continue to work seriously, and not just focus on a temporary cease-fire but work on reaching a comprehensive and final cease-fire to allow the delivery of all humanitarian assistance to gaza without obstacle, to put an end to the crimo forceful displacement of palestinians that seeks to uproot them from their lands. this resolution reaffirms that

the israeli occupation forces do not have free reign in perpetrating daily massacres against children and women and preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. the arab group calls for an immediate compliance with today's resolution, and we warn against the consequences of moving forward with the occupations plan to launch a ground offensive against the city of rafah, which is the last safe haven for more than one point 5 million palestinians displaced persons. this will cause an unacceptable humanitarian catastrophe. further, the arab group renews its position that checks the policy of bias cover-up and protection for the plans of the israeli occupation of authorities at the expense of over 32,000 people who died and will be 72,000 injured, mostly

women and children in the gaza strip over the past five months of this brutal israeli aggression. the -- the arab group rejects the double standards that are prolonging this conflict in light of the complete failure to implement any resolutions on palestine over the past 75 years. we all once again -- called once again for the complete implementation of all relevant security council resolutions including resolution 2712 and 2720 of 2023. mr. president. the israeli occupation forces continue with their crimes and aggression and genocidal war in the gaza strip since the seventh of october. they are targeting women and children or had they have even added yield to the buyer by adopt a policy of starvation --

fuel to the fire by adopting a policy of starvation against citizens. the arab group calls on this counsel to hold israel accountable for its crimes and impose strict sanctions on settlers in the occupied palestinian territory including in jerusalem. those perpetrating acts of violence against the palestinian people are those who are inciting violence. the israeli occupation should bear the consequences of this brutal aggression and the brutal massacres against the residents of gaza. they should bear the responsibility of rebuilding what their monstrous military mission has destroyed. they should pay reparations to all victims that died as a result of this aggression, and in conclusion, the arab group reaffirms it will continue with its efforts at all levels and in all forms. to make sure this counsel

shoulders its responsibility to make sure the provisions of this resolution are implemented, provisions on an immediate cease-fire on the delivery of humanitarian assistance without obstacles, to put an end to the policy of forcible displacement of the palestinian people and to provide international protection to palestinians in the occupied palestinian territory and hold israel's occupying power accountable for all of its crimes against the palestinian people. the arab group calls on all countries and international organizations to recognize without delay, an independent palestinian state along the lines of june 4, 1967 with east jerusalem as its capital, to accept palestine as a full member state of the united nations and its entities in order to end the suffering of these people and restore some of

their inalienable rights they have been denied over the past decades so palestinians can live in their independent state that is recognized internationally, that is a full member of the united nations similar to other countries around the world. i thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative of yemen for their statement. there are no more names on the list of speakers. the meeting is adjourned.