Jérôme Bonnafont (France) on behalf of E5 members on the Middle East - Joint Security Council Media Stakeout Media Stakeouts Date: 29 June 2026 Language: Floor (Original) Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/fr/asset/k1a/k1a7kiofmx?lang=floor Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- E5 [0:14]: Good morning to all. I will read to you E5 statement on the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, the United Kingdom and France, express our deep concern at developments in the West Bank in recent months. While the international community is focused on restoring peace in response to challenges in other parts of the Middle East, we must keep our focus on the implementation of the peace plan and on the significantly deteriorated situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Today, the Security Council will meet to discuss Resolution 2334, which explicitly condemns settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory and calls on Israel to respect its obligations under international law. Yet, the Israeli government continues to entrench its control in the occupied Palestinian territory. Not only do these actions contravene international law and Resolution 2334, but they also undermine ongoing efforts for peace in Gaza and implementation of Resolution 2803, as well as prospects for a two-state solution and regional security, including Israel's long-term security. We strongly condemn the continued creation and expansion of Israeli settlements as well as repeated acts of settler violence against Palestinian civilians. We call on the Israeli government to end its expansion of settlements, reverse administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against Israeli forces. We are particularly worried by Israel's construction projects in the E1 area, as well as the eviction orders for the Khan al-Ahmar community. The E1 settlement development would divide the West Bank in two, further separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank, and constitute a deliberate and direct attack on the viability and contiguity of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. It would mark a flagrant violation of international law and an unprecedented risk of annexation and forced displacement, which we firmly oppose. We stress that businesses should not bid for construction contracts for E1 or other settlement developments, and underline the legal and reputational consequences for businesses participating in settlement construction. We reject all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. We underline the importance of the preservation and of the respect for the historical status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites. We condemn the repeated violations of this status quo, which pose a threat to regional stability. We also reiterate our call for the immediate resumption of payment by Israel of the tax revenues due to the Palestinian Authority. These revenues are to be transferred to the Palestinian Authority in accordance with the Paris Protocol and are essential for the provision of basic services to the Palestinian population and the implementation of reforms by the Palestinian Authority. Finally, it is also vital that Israel enables the UN, including UNRWA, and international NGOs to operate safely and at scale to deliver their essential work across the occupied Palestinian territory, in line with international humanitarian law. The unlawful demolition of UNRWA's headquarters in East Jerusalem is an unprecedented action against a UN agency and undermines UNRWA's ability to deliver essential services to the Palestinians in accordance with its mandate. We welcome the International Court of Justice advisory opinion of October 2025 and we call on Israel to act fully in line with its obligations under international law. In closing, we reiterate our unwavering support to the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and in line with the New York Declaration. We stress the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, under the Palestinian Authority. We underline the need for a political process to achieve a just and lasting resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, security and dignity. I thank you. Speaker 2 [5:08]: Merci beaucoup.