The Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, Jerome Bonnafont, delivered a joint statement on behalf of his country, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Latvia, on Monday, ahead of the monthly Security Council session on the situation in occupied Palestine, in which he expressed the concern of the five countries regarding the continued Israeli settlement expansion and the violence perpetrated by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Bonafont emphasized that settlement activity violates international law and UN Security Council resolutions, undermining the prospects for a two-state solution and for peace and security in the region. He also called for a halt to settlement expansion and for those responsible for acts of violence against Palestinians to be held accountable.
The five countries expressed particular concern about construction projects in the E1 area, warning that their implementation would separate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and undermine the possibility of an independent, viable, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
The statement also stressed the rejection of any measures aimed at changing the character, legal status, or demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, emphasizing the importance of preserving the historical and legal status of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
In the same vein, Bonafont called on Israel to release the withheld Palestinian tax revenues, arguing that transferring these funds to the Palestinian Authority is essential to ensuring the continued provision of basic services and the implementation of reforms.
The statement also condemned the closure of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) headquarters in Jerusalem, describing it as “an unprecedented attack on a UN agency” and emphasizing that this move undermines the agency’s ability to provide services to Palestinian refugees.
Bonafont concluded by stressing the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid, and resume a political process leading to a just and lasting settlement of the conflict based on a two-state solution that achieves security for Israelis and Palestinians.
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