EU Statement – UN Security Council: Open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. 

The Candidate Countries Montenegro, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, as well as Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU welcomes the ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran. We urge all involved to fully respect the ceasefire across the region, cease all military operations and fully ensure freedom of navigation as well as free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, in line with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. In this context, we support the International Maritime Organization’s plan for the release of vessels and seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf and for the permanent reopening of the Strait. 

We commend Pakistan and other regional partners for their efforts and mediation that contributed to this positive outcome. Diplomacy is key to resolve all outstanding issues. Parties should continue engaging in good faith in efforts to reach a sustainable agreement on all areas of concern. 

The European Union will contribute to all diplomatic efforts in this endeavour, taking into consideration its full range of interests and concerns, in coordination with partners. To this end, President of the European Council Costa and High Representative Kallas visited Gulf countries, to show our solidarity and coordinate our efforts. Now is the time to design a comprehensive strategy for lasting peace across the entire Middle East.

The EU also welcomes the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon on 16 April, under the auspices of the United States. We urge all involved to fully respect the ceasefire and a cessation of all military operations to allow for negotiations of lasting peace under just and conducive conditions. We call for the full respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterate the need for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. 

The EU calls for-deescalation and maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and full respect for international law by all parties, including the principles of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law. The European Union reaffirms its unwavering support for UNIFIL and condemns the unacceptable attacks against peacekeepers, which constitute a grave violation of international law and must stop immediately. We call for a thorough investigation of these attacks.

We pay tribute to the peacekeepers from Indonesia and France who died recently while serving in the name of peace and international security in Lebanon.

We welcome the decision by the Lebanese authorities to ban Hezbollah’s military activities and support the efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces in view of gaining control of the whole Lebanese territory and to establish the State’s monopoly on holding weapons. 

The EU expresses its full solidarity and its steadfast support for the Lebanese people and authorities in the face of dire humanitarian needs, especially for displaced persons, and continues to stand ready to provide emergency assistance in coordination with the Lebanese government. 

The EU stands firmly with Lebanon and will continue to support all efforts towards de-escalation and lasting stability, including by contributing to the strengthening of the Lebanese Armed Forces in view of gaining control of the whole Lebanese territory. 

The deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, is of grave concern. 

The European Union reiterates its call for the full implementation by all parties of the ceasefire and all other provisions of UNSCR 2803, in line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and international political and legal principles. 

In this context, we call for the permanent disarmament of Hamas and other non-state armed groups and support the mediators and the Office of the High Representative for Gaza to this end. We also call for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the deployment of the temporary International Stabilisation Force, as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.

The European Union deplores the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls on Israel to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza, including via the Cyprus Maritime Corridor to supplement land routes, and to enable the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA, and humanitarian organisations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering. 

The EU calls on Israel to reverse its decision regarding the NGO registration law, to reopen Gaza border crossings and to fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. The European Union recalls the need to ensure the protection of civilians at all times. 

The European Union stands ready to continue contributing to the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict in accordance with UNSCR 2803. The European Union will engage with international and regional stakeholders to contribute to the reconstruction and redevelopment of Gaza, in line with international law. Our civilian CSDP missions EUPOL COPPS and EUBAM Rafah remain key for the EU in contributing to these efforts. 

The EU will also continue to support the Palestinian Authority, including in its reform agenda, so that it can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. The EU calls on Israel to urgently release withheld clearance revenues and extend the correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks.

The European Union strongly condemns Israel’s unilateral actions aiming to expand its presence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 declared to be unlawful, and urges the Government of Israel to reverse these decisions, to abide by its obligations under international law and to protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territories. We also reiterate our call for the preservation of and respect for the Status Quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites. 

The European Union strongly condemns the continued and growing settler violence against Palestinian civilians and will take work forward on further restrictive measures against extremist settlers and entities and organisations that support them.

Israel had long upheld a de facto moratorium on both executions and capital punishment sentencing, thereby leading by example in the region despite a complex security environment. The approval of the Death Penalty Bill by the Israeli Parliament marks a grave regression from that practice and from Israel’s own commitments. The EU is deeply concerned about the de facto discriminatory character of the Bill. Consistent with our global efforts towards universal abolition of the death penalty, the EU urges Israel to abide by its previous principled position and with its obligations under international law, as well as its commitment to democratic principles.

The EU is fully committed to international law and a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders. The New York Declaration provides a political framework to guide these efforts. On April 20, we co-hosted two important meetings in Brussels, the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the two-State solution and the Ad hoc Liaison Committee. Both events demonstrated strong international consensus on safeguarding the two-State solution and strengthening Palestinian institutions as indispensable steps toward a sustainable peace.

Let me turn to Syria. The European Union remains committed to supporting a peaceful and inclusive transition that upholds the rights of Syrians from all ethnic and religious background without discrimination. 

We will maintain engagement with Syria’s transitional government to advance inclusive political and democratic transition based on national reconciliation, promotion of human rights, and socio-economic recovery and reconstruction. For this to be successful we support the rebuilding of state institutions and encourage the completion of the People’s Assembly. The role of Syrian civil society and women remains indispensable to all these efforts.

We strongly support the strengthening of cooperation between the Syrian transitional Government with all UN bodies, including the Commission of Inquiry, International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, and ensuring unhindered access across Syria.

For the transition to succeed, it is vital that Syria remains insulated from regional hostilities and is not drawn into the wider regional conflict. The EU urges all external actors to fully respect Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. We condemn unilateral military interventions, destabilising interference, and foreign disinformation campaigns that threaten Syria’s stability and prospects for peace.

 The European Union recognizes that Syria, in the process of economic recovery and reconstruction, is particularly vulnerable for the current war’s economic impact, and underscores the importance of reconnecting Syria to regional and global trade networks. 

Finally, we reiterate that combating the resurgence of Da’esh and other terrorist groups remains a priority and welcome the transitional government’s renewed commitment to countering Da’esh, including through the Global Coalition.