Statement by Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, to the UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East

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28 January 2025

Mr. President,

I would like to thank the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council for their presentations.

I would like to reaffirm France’s full support for UNRWA and its Commissioner-General. Since October 2023 and the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, UNRWA has been on the front lines in bringing relief to the civilian population of the enclave. 272 of its staff have died in the line of duty during this period.

On October 29, France regretted the adoption by the Israeli parliament of two laws targeting UNRWA. Their implementation would deprive hundreds of thousands of civilians of essential shelter, healthcare, education, and food aid in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We call on the Israeli authorities to respect their obligations towards this UN agency and its international and local staff.

There is no credible alternative to UNRWA. UNRWA plays an essential humanitarian role, but it also provides public services. And it does so at a third of the cost of other UN agencies.

UNRWA is therefore part of the solution in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Territories. The ceasefire agreement continues to be implemented. Aid must therefore be delivered on a massive scale. Reconstruction work must begin without delay, and Gaza’s children must be allowed to return to their schools, which are run by UNRWA. All Palestinians must also have access to the health infrastructure operated by UNRWA.

UNRWA plays an essential stabilizing role in the Gaza Strip, but also in Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as in the host countries. It is therefore in Israel’s interest, not least its own security, that UNRWA should be able to operate without hindrance.
France will continue to be a partner of UNRWA in 2025, as it has been since its creation by a sovereign decision of the General Assembly in 1949. At the Humanitarian Conference on December 2, France announced a new contribution of €50 million for the population of Gaza in 2025, including €20 million for UNRWA.

France will also continue to ensure that the reforms needed to ensure the neutrality of UNRWA’s actions are implemented, in particular the recommendations of the Colonna report.

If UNRWA still exists 75 years after its creation, it is because the international community has not yet been able to resolve the Palestinian question. It is essential to set in motion an irreversible process for the effective implementation of the two-state solution.

The Gaza Strip must be part of a future Palestinian state. Hamas must be prevented from regaining a foothold in the enclave, and we must therefore prepare for the return of the Palestinian Authority, which is responsible for administering the territory.

In order to make progress towards a two-state solution, France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair an international conference in New York in June. We call on the Israelis and Palestinians to take the only path that will guarantee them a future of peace and security.

Thank you.

 

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