UN Voices Concern
Russia and others backed Palestine at the UN Security Council on Monday, amid rising concern that Israel’s construction plans in the West Bank could damage efforts towards peace in the Middle East.
It comes as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday called to ‘complete the conquest’ over the Palestinian territories.
Footage shows delegates addressing a Security Council meeting in New York on the situation in the Middle East.
Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said Israel’s plans undermine the entire pathway for Palestinian statehood and the wider peace process.
“Israeli colonial plans in the E1 area amount to a death penalty for the Palestinian state and the prospect for peace in our region,” Mansour said. “Israel is extending its unlawful control over Palestinian land and Palestinian lives through military, legislative and administrative measures.”
Global Positions Emerge
Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s Charge d’Affaires at the UN, accused Israel of pursuing an illegal acceleration of settlement construction and of expanding its control over occupied Palestinian territory.
“The pace and scale of settlement construction and expansion have long since broke all records. Unprecedented decisions have been taken to proceed with construction in the E1 area and to revise the legal status of Areas A and B, in violation of the Oslo Accords,” Evstigneeva noted.
She said diplomatic efforts remained the only viable path, while also warning that moves to address the severe humanitarian and infrastructure challenges in Gaza have now stalled.
“There is currently no talk of any practical actions regarding the launch of reconstruction work in Gaza. In essence, the US administration’s peace efforts on the Palestinian track have been put on hold,” she added.
The UK also warned that developments in the West Bank threaten the wider peace process and called on Israel to be accountable for its obligations.
“We cannot allow progress towards peace to be undermined by this deeply concerning trajectory in the West Bank,” UK’s Charge d’Affaires James Kariuki said.
“We must redouble efforts to stabilise the West Bank and inject renewed momentum into an implementation of Resolution 2803 in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas must meet their commitments,” he added.
Meanwhile, US representative Mike Waltz laid the blame squarely with Hamas, accusing it of actions “to drag the region back into a cycle of violence.”
“As we’ve said here month after month, Hamas cannot remain armed. That’s the end of story, period. Hamas’s demilitarisation is at the heart of President Trump’s peace plan,” he declared.
“Hamas does not get to negotiate its way into keeping a terrorist army,” he added, referring to ‘terrorist acts’ by ‘Hamas-affiliated’ armed groups and referencing “two incidents killing 11 men and publicly torturing Palestinians.”
Peace Process Challenged
The statements were made during a UN Security Council briefing on the “Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”. Five European members of the council later warned businesses against bidding for construction contracts in Israeli settlements.
The E1 project would see around 3,400 homes built for Israeli settlers between Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Critics say it would cut much of the West Bank off from East Jerusalem and torpedo the prospect of a Palestinian state, in spite of backing for the statehood process by the UNGA and the existing formal recognition of the State of Palestine by around 80% of UN members.
Israel had earlier halted the construction plan after objections from the United States, European allies and others, who viewed it as a threat to any future peace agreement, but has redoubled its efforts toward expansion into the occupied territories following US-backed military campaigns against its neighbours in the region.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and abducting 200 others.
Israel responded with a major military campaign in Gaza, including air strikes and a ground offensive. 73,043 Palestinians have been killed and 173,417 wounded, according to Gaza health authorities.
In January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict, which includes transitioning from a ceasefire to disarmament, the formation of a technocratic administration and the start of reconstruction.
UNTV, via Viory. Video
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