From Gaza to Gulf, Peace in Middle East Hinges on Resolving Israel-Palestinian Conflict, Security Council Speakers Stress, amid Calls for Political Progress

From Gaza to Gulf, Peace in Middle East Hinges on Resolving Israel-Palestinian Conflict, Security Council Speakers Stress, amid Calls for Political Progress

In a Middle East aflame with tensions, from Gaza to the Gulf, resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict remains central to wider peace, the Security Council heard today.

A limited ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October 2025, when the Council endorsed the United States-backed "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict", welcomed the establishment of a Board of Peace and authorized the establishment of a temporary International Stabilization Force. However, violence and the humanitarian crisis persist, even as large-scale displacement of Palestinians and settler violence destabilizes the West Bank.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, was among the many speakers today who stressed that Council resolution 2803 (2025) and the Comprehensive Plan must be fully implemented. He underscored the importance of the disarmament of Hamas, Israel Defense Forces' withdrawal from Gaza, deployment of the International Stabilization Force and transfer of governance responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

Despite improvements in food security and waste clearance, Gaza continues to face widespread destruction, displacement, overcrowding and "nearly-daily casualties caused by ongoing Israeli military aggression", he said. Palestinians and community organizations are working to rebuild lives despite these conditions. "Their resilience is inspiring and provides a rare glimmer of hope for what the future could hold," he stressed.

Recovery Hinges on Political Steps to Unite Gaza, West Bank

But, he added, "community resilience cannot substitute for the required supply of materials at scale - including those Israel considers dual use". Gaza has been denied the conditions necessary for meaningful reconstruction.

Pointing to recent steps taken by Israeli authorities to enable the deployment of the International Security Forces to Gaza, he added that these efforts must be guided by the political goal of reunifying the West Bank and Gaza under a single, sovereign Palestinian Government. Israel's legitimate security concerns must also be addressed.

In the West Bank, settler attacks, Palestinian assaults on Israelis, Israeli military operations and displacement are intensifying. On 14 July, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the allocation of 1.3 billion shekels towards the placement of temporary housing units in dozens of new settlements throughout the West Bank. "All settlements are illegal under international law", he stressed.

"Gaza's reconstruction cannot be sustained in the absence of a political process," he said. Welcoming Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's announcement of legislative elections, he emphasized that lasting peace requires both reconstruction and political progress.

Palestinians 'Killed as if They Never Mattered', Permanent Observer Says

The Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine said that Palestinians are being "killed as they sleep, as they tend to their groves, as they head to school, as they sit in their homes". They are "killed as if their lives never mattered", he added. "Confronted with the prospect of losing the upcoming election, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is seeking electoral gains on the blood of Palestinians and even Israelis," he said.

"Impunity is the reason for the persistence and escalation of these crimes," he added, pointing to videos from Tal showing Israeli settlers threatening to shoot unarmed Palestinians. Despite resolutions calling for international protection for Palestinians, "it is nowhere to be found", he added.

However, Israel's representative said, "the main problem remains that Hamas refuses to disarm." The Council still refuses to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Recalling the UN's own recent implication that Hamas stormed a food distribution centre in Jabalya and attacked aid workers, he said Israel has been reporting such incidents - and living through them - for years. Is the UN afraid of the Governments that fund Hamas' terrorism?, he asked.

Israel's Delegate Says Policy Designed to Prevent Hamas from Rearming

Dismissing statements about Israeli aid obstruction as flawed reporting and anti-Israel bias, he said that Israel's policy is designed to prevent Hamas from rearming. Speaking directly to that organization, he declared: "Either you give up power voluntarily or Israel will do what is necessary."

In the ensuing open debate, several speakers stressed the importance of implementing Council resolution 2803 (2025). The representative of the United States highlighted recent talks in Cyprus among the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza as progress in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Plan. She welcomed European pledges of nearly $1 billion for recovery and pilot projects in southern Gaza. "We know we will succeed, united by our confidence and determination to create a new future for the people of Gaza," she said, stressing the need to offer Palestinians security, dignity and prosperity - provided Hamas disarms and fulfils its commitments.

Gaza Peace Accord 'Stalled', Moscow Says, as Others Warn against Undermining Resolution 2803 (2025)

But the representative of the Russian Federation said the Gaza peace agreement has stalled, with President Trump's efforts remaining "largely on paper". She voiced regret that the longstanding conflict in the Middle East - far from moving towards resolution - has only expanded across the entire region.

Colombia's delegate noted that nearly 10 months after implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan began, Israel had killed more than 1,100 Palestinians. "It is difficult to characterize this reality as a ceasefire," she said.

The establishment of new mechanisms, China's representative stressed, must promote - and not undermine - the two-State solution. Noting that this solution has been realized "only halfway", with Israel becoming an independent State a long time ago, while a Palestinian State remains a distant prospect, he warned against changing the territorial and demographic composition of Palestine.

The representative of the League of Arab States, in its capacity as an observer, stated that the United States bears "a special responsibility" to guarantee the implementation of President Trumps's peace plan. It is necessary to counter Israel's "procrastination" aimed at undermining that plan, she added.

Pakistan's speaker cautioned that delays in implementing Council resolution 2803 (2025) risk undermining prospects for lasting peace, while Somalia's representative added that its benchmarks must be verified by UN and independent monitors throughout. Both were also among the many speakers who sounded grave alarm over the situation in the occupied West Bank.

France's delegate noted the approaching first anniversary of the New York Declaration on the two-State solution, adding that Israel's settlement expansion, including the upcoming launch of tenders for the E1 project, poses a threat to that solution. His country will continue to work with European partners to sanction those responsible for settlement activity and settler violence.

Praise for Trade Bans on Settlement Goods, Calls to Open More Crossings

Egypt's delegate welcomed the decision by some European States to prohibit trade in goods originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and encouraged the rest of the European Union and other States to adopt similar measures.

Jordan's delegate, speaking for the Arab Group, highlighted Israel's enactment of racist legislation in the West Bank. He condemned provocations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, such as the raising of the Israeli flag. Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites, he said, stressing the Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites of al Quds al Sharif. Qatar's delegate condemned settler incursions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque led by Israeli ministers.

The representative of Senegal, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said that settlement expansion, home demolitions and settler violence are "actions designed explicitly to terrorize Palestinians". He drew attention to the Secretary-General's report on conflict-related sexual violence documenting sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.

The representative of Denmark described developments in the West Bank and Gaza as "deplorable" and Gaza's humanitarian conditions as "catastrophic". She urged greater humanitarian access, a call echoed by Latvia's delegate. The speaker for the United Kingdom urged Israel to open more crossings and permit essential recovery supplies. She also condemned Hamas' obstruction of aid operations. The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, stressed that Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza must disarm while Israeli forces must withdraw from the Strip.

Speakers Highlight Steps for Regional Security, Maritime Safety, Pointing to Syria's Positive Trajectory

The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Council President for July, called for protection of civilians and safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access. Panama's delegate stressed the need to preserve the conditions for UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to carry out their work safely. Greece's delegate highlighted the Palestine Donors Group meeting in Brussels, while Bahrain's delegate pointed to his country's endowment for Jerusalem's orphans.

Liberia's delegate, sharing his national experience, said: "No society ever truly emerges from war simply because one side managed to exhaust the other." He emphasized that Israel's right to live in peace and security and the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and statehood are "not mutually exclusive" but "mutually dependent".

"Israel's occupation remains the root cause of persistent conflict in the region," Indonesia's speaker stressed, advocating for an inclusive regional security architecture based on dialogue, trust-building and a two-State solution. Brazil's delegate said that given the proliferation of conflicts in the Middle East, only respect for international law combined with true political will can lead to lasting peace.

On those conflicts, several speakers stressed the importance of maritime freedom in the Hormuz Strait as well as the Red Sea. They expressed support for a Yemeni-led political process and many welcomed the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, facilitated by the United States. Several pointed to the political transition in Syria as an example of a positive trajectory in an unstable region.