UN Statement on West Bank and East Jerusalem: Ceasefire, Settlements, and Two-State Solution

Call for Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid

• 🇬🇧 A statement delivered on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom welcomes progress towards ending bloodshed in Gaza and releasing hostages.
• 🤝 Efforts by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for a ceasefire and a 20-point plan for Gaza's future are acknowledged.
• 🕊️ All parties are urged to implement Security Council resolution 2803, including respecting the ceasefire and facilitating unimpeded humanitarian aid delivery.
• 🎗️ Hamas is called upon to disarm and renounce violence.

Concerns Regarding the West Bank and East Jerusalem

• ⚠️ Despite focus on Gaza, the situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is highlighted, with condemnation of settlement activities that contravene resolution 2334.
• 📈 A significant rise in settler violence against Palestinian civilians is strongly condemned, with 2025 noted as the most violent year on record.
• 🏠 Specific actions like the allocation of funding for settlements, evictions in East Jerusalem, land registration plans, and approval of new housing units are identified as destabilizing.

Upholding International Law and UN Operations

• ⚖️ Israel is called upon to abide by its international legal obligations, protect the Palestinian population, and preserve the status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites.
• 🚫 Firm opposition to annexation and settlement policies that violate international law is reiterated.
• 🏢 UNRWA's vital work must continue, and the inviolability of UN premises under international law is stressed, following an incident at an UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem.

Economic Stability and Future Prospects

• 💸 The precarious economic situation in the West Bank is addressed, with concerns over withheld Palestinian tax revenues and threats to banking relationships.
• 🏦 Measures that risk financial collapse and weaken the Palestinian Authority are deemed unjustifiable, with an urgent call for the release of withheld revenues.
• 🚶‍♂️ Movement restrictions, forced displacement, and operations by Israeli security forces in the West Bank are aggravating the humanitarian situation and must end.
• 🌍 A historic crossroads is acknowledged, with a commitment to a two-state solution for long-term peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and the region.