Mr. President,

I would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing, and I closely followed what was said by the Observer State of Palestine and the Permanent Representative of Israel.

1/ The priority in the Near East is to obtain a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages illegally held by Hamas, and the massive and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. France continues to work tirelessly to this end and welcome the efforts of its partners in this regard. France firmly condemns the expansion of the Israeli offensive to the center of Gaza, where evacuation orders have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people in Deir el-Balah and are hampering the work of many United Nations agencies, to which France reiterates its trust and support, starting with UNRWA and OCHA, whose personnel are paying a disproportionate price for this tragedy.

This new operation is worsening the humanitarian situation at a quicker pace. That situation is marked by malnutrition and the risk of famine. This situation is the result of the blockade imposed by Israel. France condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli firing on Palestinians in Gaza attempting to obtain humanitarian aid, which, according to the UN, has killed more than 1,000 people in the last two months. Furthermore, any attempt to forcibly displace the population from Gaza, whether open or covert, would be illegal and unacceptable.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, settlement activity must cease. It is a breach of international law. France staunchly opposes the resumption of the E1 settlement project. This project must not see the light of day. It is a violation of international law. It threatens the prospect of a two-state solution.

An alternative to war must be built in order to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to have a State and to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

2/ The gravity of the situation in the Middle East must not distract this Council from what is happening in Lebanon, in Syria and the Red Sea.

In Lebanon, despite the obstacles raised on both sides, we must continue our efforts to implement Resolution 1701 in its entirety, the relevance of which is reinforced by the ceasefire agreement of November 26, 2024. The restoration of the Lebanese State’s authority is at stake. It must regain the monopoly on the use of force accross its territory. To achieve that goal, the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate is vital in order to support the efforts of the Lebanese authorities and army in that regard.

In Syria, the ceasefire obtained last Saturday thanks to US mediation efforts must be upheld, humanitarian aid must be delivered unfettered to the Suwayda region, and civilians who wish to do so be evacuated safely. France calls on Israel to refrain from any unilateral action that could destabilize Syria. The goal for this Council must be for Syria to achieve an inclusive transition, restore civic peace, and recover its economy. The reconfiguration of the United Nations presence in Syria must support these goals. This is also the aim of France’s efforts in support of the Syrian transitional authorities.

In Yemen and the Red Sea, as in the rest of the region, the Houthis must put an end once and for all to their destabilizing actions in the Middle East. France calls for the resumption of the inter-Yemeni peace process, under the aegis of UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, to whom France reiterates its full support, in order to implement a political, security, and economic roadmap.

Mr. President,

3/ A ceasefire agreement in Gaza could allow a new chapter to be written in the Middle East, with the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. France is fully committed to this. To this end, we will co-chair, alongside Saudi Arabia, a high-level conference on July 28 and 29.

This conference aims to give concrete form to the two-state solution through specific measures. It also aims to relaunch a collective dynamic in favor of a political solution that meets Israel’s legitimate security concerns and ensures the contiguity and viability of the Palestinian State in the long term. The conference will strive to foster the recognition of Palestine, normalization with Israel and regional integration, as well as the reform of Palestinian governance and the disarmament of Hamas. We call upon all Member States to be represented at a high level.

Thank you.