This week brought the long-awaited return of the final remaining hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, killed while defending families at Kibbutz Alumim during the brutal Hamas attack on October 7th.
As my Foreign Secretary said, our thoughts are with Ran’s family, as they now finally lay him to rest.
The suffering of October 7th and the devastating conflict that followed serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of our collective efforts to secure lasting peace in the Middle East.
I will make three points.
First, we welcome the announcement of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, an important step in implementing the peace plan and putting Palestinians at the heart of efforts to recover and rebuild.
We call for the swift implementation of phase two of the peace plan as set out in Security Council Resolution 2803, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the decommissioning of Hamas’ weapons, the deployment of the ISF, and a clear timeline for transition of governance from the Board of Peace to a reformed Palestinian Authority.
Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza.
Second, for the peace plan to succeed, we must also see urgent action to address the still catastrophic humanitarian situation.
The UN reports that at least nine infants have died of hypothermia this winter, including a three-month-old baby last week.
This is completely unconscionable, especially when lifesaving shelter and medical supplies remain at the border, blocked by Israeli authorities.
We welcome Israel’s commitment to partially open the Rafah crossing, but this is not enough.
Rafah and all crossings must be fully opened to allow life-saving humanitarian supplies to enter at scale.
The UK condemns Israel’s egregious attacks against UNRWA’s compound in East Jerusalem and its restrictions on the work of international NGOs. These are the backbone of the humanitarian response, providing $1 billion of funding annually, and without them, Palestinians will face yet more suffering.
We call on Israel to fulfil its humanitarian commitments under President Trump’s 20 Point Plan and its obligations under international law.
Finally, we cannot allow the deeply concerning trajectory of Israeli actions in the West Bank to undermine our efforts to secure peace.
We condemn ongoing settler violence and outpost construction in Area B, and we call upon the Israeli government to tackle this with effective law enforcement and accountability measures as needed.
Israeli movement restrictions and incursions into Area A must cease.
We oppose ongoing illegal settlement expansion, including recent developments around E1.
President, we cannot afford to lose momentum towards peace.
The UK remains committed to supporting swift implementation of Resolution 2803 and to forging a new future, built upon a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living in peace, security, and dignity.