PRESS RELEASE : The UK calls for a de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine – UK statement at the Security Council [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 September 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Middle Eastern Peace Process.

Mr President,

I have three areas I wish to highlight since our last meeting in August.

Firstly, September 15 marked the third anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords. The UK celebrates the success of the accords and we are unabashed in encouraging more countries to normalise their relations with Israel and seize the opportunities it presents. We are also committed to making sure that normalisation delivers concrete benefits for the Palestinian people.

Second, from 11 to 13 September, the British Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Foreign Secretary spoke with Israeli and Palestinian leaders where he called for a de-escalation of tensions, emphasised the importance of holding long-overdue elections in the OPTs, and made crystal clear the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution as the only way to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. The 30th anniversary of the Oslo Accords is a poignant reminder that we must work together to achieve lasting and sustainable peace in the region.

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary met the commissioner-general of UNRWA and he went to Jalazone refugee camp to see, first hand, the impact of the agency’s work to protect the most vulnerable. This brings me to my third point.

We have previously discussed the funding crisis that UNRWA faces. The UK was proud to announce an additional ten million pounds during the visit to help address the crisis. Other states also pledged more funds to UNRWA during high-level week, we must make sure those funds are available quickly and we must maintain efforts to put the agency on a more sustainable financial footing.

Separately, I want to highlight a UN OCHA report published last week showing that 1,105 Palestinians were displaced from their communities since 2022. A major and rising concern is the increasing settler violence in the OPTs, largely unchallenged, renders Palestinians at risk of forcible transfer. We call on the Israeli government to tackle this threat.

Tragically, 2023 has already seen at least 193 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank and 31 Israelis have died at the hands of terrorists. We must end the cycle of violence.