Speaking before the UN General Assembly today, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel while calling for the immediate release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Thomas-Greenfield slammed Hamas for carrying out “barbaric acts of terror” including the gunning down of civilians and the execution of children. She stated there is “no justification for terror” and called on member states to condemn Hamas’ actions.
“And we must condemn Hamas’ acts of terror. Hamas’ goals are single-minded, and they’re sickening. They are determined to destroy Israel and kill Jews. And let’s be clear: Hamas has never cared about the genuine needs, concerns, or safety of the people it claims to represent. And Hamas has no respect for the rule of law or human life. To them, Palestinian civilians are expendable. To them, Palestinian civilians are human shields. And it really is despicable, and it’s cowardly.
“The lives of innocent Palestinians must be protected. The lives of UN personnel and humanitarian workers and journalists must be protected. And we mourn – we mourn the loss of every single innocent life in this crisis. Every single one. We must not look away.
“And we must not become numb to the pain and the suffering of people like Wael Al-Dahdouh – a Palestinian journalist whose wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in Gaza this week. And my heart breaks for Wael. My heart breaks for all –all of the innocent civilians who are caught up in this crisis.”
The ambassador also urged the international community to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, noting that many families lack access to basic necessities. The US recently announced $100 million in new aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Thomas-Greenfield criticised a proposed UN resolution for failing to mention Hamas or the hostages being held. She announced US support for a Canadian amendment that would correct these omissions and call for the unconditional release of hostages.
Earlier in the week, the US introduced a balanced Security Council resolution condemning Hamas attacks and the hostage crisis while addressing aid access in Gaza. The resolution was vetoed by Russia and China.
“We deeply regret that the resolution now under consideration is detrimental to this vision. But while this resolution is deeply flawed and does not meet this moment, the United States will continue to work with all Member States to chart a future where Israelis and Palestinians have equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity. And a future where Palestinians realise their legitimate right to self-determination and a state of their own.”
Thomas-Greenfield stated that “one-sided resolutions will not help advance peace” and called for a two-state solution to the conflict. She affirmed US commitment to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve “equal measures of security, freedom, justice and dignity.”
As President Biden said yesterday, there is no going back to the status quo as it stood on October 6th. We must not go back to the status quo where Hamas terrorizes Israel and uses Palestinian civilians as human shields. And we must not go back to the status quo where extremist settlers can attack and terrorize Palestinians in the West Bank. The status quo is untenable and it is unacceptable.
This means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next. In our view, that vision must be centred around a two-state solution. Getting there will require concerted efforts by all of us—Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, and global leaders – to put us on a path for peace. To integrate Israel with the region, while insisting that the aspirations of the Palestinian people be part of a more hopeful future.
We deeply regret that the resolution now under consideration is detrimental to this vision. But while this resolution is deeply flawed and does not meet this moment, the United States will continue to work with all Member States to chart a future where Israelis and Palestinians have equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity. And a future where Palestinians realize their legitimate right to self-determination and a state of their own. She concluded.
