It is urgent that unfettered humanitarian access be guaranteed for the Gaza Strip [fr]

Mr. President,

I thank the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the Executive Director of UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for their briefings.

The terrorist attacks by Hamas and other groups against Israel on October 7 have triggered an unprecedented crisis. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is tragic. Civilians are dying every day, including many children. The population is going hungry. The lack of water brings the risk of epidemics, and hospitals are overwhelmed.

It is urgent that unfettered humanitarian access be guaranteed for the Gaza Strip, which needs food, water and electricity. The number of convoys must increase significantly in order to keep pace with needs. A humanitarian truce is needed, which could ultimately lead to a ceasefire.

France has significantly increased its humanitarian assistance, through the chartering of a special flight last weekend.

We welcome the commitment of the Secretary-General, the work of UN agencies, and the work of humanitarian actors on the ground, who are working in extremely difficult conditions. Our most sincere condolences go to the United Nations following the deaths of 63 UNRWA staff.

Civilians must be able to leave Gaza without being impeded from doing so. We have consistently requested this for our own nationals and their families since October 7.

Nothing can justify the suffering of civilians; they must be protected. All victims deserve our compassion, and all lives are valuable. Israel has the right to defend itself, and the duty to do so in compliance with international humanitarian law, sparing the civilian population.

France voted in favor of the resolution introduced by Jordan, on behalf of the Arab group, which calls for a truce, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians, which condemns the terrorist acts and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. And I recall our condemnation in the strongest terms of the terrorist attacks by Hamas, which in no way represents the Palestinians and has nothing but contempt for their suffering. I also reiterate our call for the hostages to be released immediately and without condition.

Following this vote in the General Assembly, this Council must be able to fully shoulder its responsibilities and achieve a just decision based on our common principles: France will continue to work on the new draft resolution presented by Brazil, so that it can be adopted quickly.

Mr. President,

The extreme severity of the situation in Gaza should not lead us to forget what is happening in the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. France firmly condemns the violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population, which is increasing in the West Bank. We call on the Israeli authorities to put a stop to this.

We must prevent a conflagration in the entire region. France remains extremely worried following the shelling of UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon on October 28. France is committed to avoiding a spread of this conflict.

This war has reminded us, as if any reminder were necessary, that the world can no longer ignore the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and security.
We all know the conditions to achieve this goal: the necessary security guarantees for Israel and a state for the Palestinians. We must all mobilize in order to restore a political horizon. The only viable solution is a two-state solution. And France will continue its engagement within this Council to ensure that it adopts a resolution as quickly as possible. We owe this to the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Thank you very much.