(Note:  A complete summary of today's Security Council meeting will be made available after its conclusion.)

“Don’t let the opportunity for Middle East peace slip through our fingers.” This was the overarching message conveyed by the Security Council today, as delegates discussed the latest developments following the 9 October agreement — based on United States President Donald J. Trump’s 20-point plan — which secured a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.

“After two years of devastating war and unimaginable human suffering, we now have an opportunity to conclude a dark chapter in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and set the course for a more just and peaceful future,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, speaking via video link, during a day-long open debate.

Deputy Special Representative:  A ‘Momentous But Precarious’ Juncture

The 9 October agreement “represents hope for a better future”, he added, though its dynamics remain “extremely” fragile, Mr. Alakbarov continued.  “A return to conflict must be avoided at all costs.”  He called for the immediate release of remaining deceased hostages and large-scale humanitarian access across Gaza.  “All parties must abide by their commitments under the deal and agreements should be reached to implement the next phase.”

Since the ceasefire took effect, the United Nations and its partners have begun implementing a 60-day response plan, he said.  Aid deliveries increased by 46 per cent in the first week, thanks to Israeli facilitation and tracking through the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza.  “But, this is not enough,” he warned.

Meeting humanitarian targets requires more crossings and functional corridors, safe passage for aid workers and civilians and unrestricted entry of goods and fuel.

Reconstruction, meanwhile, will require “a collective effort and should be Palestinian-led”, he said.  Working with the Palestinian Authority, international partners, civil society and the private sector, the UN is ready to help coordinate recovery efforts in accordance with the ceasefire, the New York Declaration and the Arab Plan for Recovery and Reconstruction.

“We are at a momentous but precarious juncture,” Mr. Alakbarov said.  President Trump’s 20-point plan and the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement to End the War in Gaza have created “a viable path towards ending the war”.  The upcoming Cairo Reconstruction Conference — co-hosted by Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and the UN — will advance recovery and rebuilding efforts.

For its part, the UN will continue to support all efforts to end the occupation and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in line with international law and UN resolutions, he said. This is critical to realize “a two-State solution — Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part — living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States”.

Vengeance, Hatred Lead Nowhere, Says Palestine’s Speaker

“We knew that the ceasefire was the only way forward […] to bring the horrors to an end,” said the observer for the State of Palestine.  While skepticism remains, “our role is not [to] be bystanders as things fall apart”.  He thanked Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States for their mediation, also paying tribute to those who did not survive, including 20,000 Palestinian children.  “Vengeance and hatred lead nowhere,” he said.  “More bloodshed cannot be the answer.”

Emphasizing that Israeli security cannot come at the expense of Palestinian lives and rights, he quoted the United States Constitution:  all people are equally endowed with the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.  Annexation, colonization, arbitrary detention, land expropriation and violence against civilians must end.  “The world mobilized […] for a two-State solution and for peace,” he said, pledging that Palestine will uphold its obligations and allow its people to chart their own way forward.

“[President Trump] alone can save Israel from itself,” he continued.  Israel has yet to fully abandon its annexation policies, he said, stressing that injustice must never be justified.  “A new generation can wake up to a very different region” where shared security replaces war.

Hamas Must Disarm, Israel’s Delegate Insists

“Israel has achieved what many thought impossible,” said Israel’s representative, noting all living hostages are home, 15 fallen hostages recovered, and “Hamas has been forced to accept a deal it rejected from the very beginning”.  He stressed “Israel stood firm” despite political pressure, but “our struggle is not over” as there can be no peace “while terror still remains”.

“Make no mistake — Hamas has already violated the ceasefire,” he said, noting Hamas has failed to return the bodies of the fallen despite more than 300 hours passing.  “They know exactly — and we know that they know — where our fallen are; they simply refuse to act.”  The fallen hostages will be brought home “by diplomacy, if possible, by other means if necessary”.  Nine days into the ceasefire, Hamas fired in an Israel Defense Forces-controlled area, killing two soldiers and wounding others.

“Yet, as Hamas violates the ceasefire, too many look away,” he continued, rejecting the “outrageous and false moral equivalence drawn in recent weeks”.  Urging a focus on reality, he said:  “Remove the goggles and look at what is really happening today, because — before classrooms open or a single home is built — one truth must be faced:  Hamas must go, Hamas must disarm.”  Blueprints and promises of reconstruction "will not stop bullets, only real disarmament will”, he said.  “Now is the time to turn words into pressure, and hopefully, pressure into peace.”

In the ensuing discussion, Council and non-Council members alike expressed support for the 9 October agreement, warned against ceasefire violations, called for the scaling up of humanitarian aid and urged united international efforts towards the reconstruction of Gaza and implementation of the next stages of the peace plan.

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