During the UK's presidency of the Council, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis participated in a UN Security Council meeting on the ongoing situation in the Middle East. “After more than a year of this appalling conflict, it is high time to decisively abandon the path of violence and dehumanisation,” emphasised the head of the FDFA in New York. Hamas continues to hold hostages, famine looms in the Gaza Strip, and regional tensions are escalating. Survivors in Gaza are suffering from hunger, injuries, and disease, as the health system has been nearly destroyed. At the Security Council, Mr Cassis, on behalf of Switzerland, condemned the hostilities of last weekend, during which Israeli fire destroyed a residential building, causing numerous civilian casualties, including many children. He also condemned Hamas's ongoing rocket attacks on Israel.
“Immediate action is needed by all actors involved in the conflict to protect civilians,” said Mr. Cassis. A ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and the rapid, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid are urgently required. International law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, must be respected by all parties without exception.
The adoption by the Knesset on 28 October 2024 of two laws concerning UNRWA, which are largely incompatible with international law and threaten humanitarian aid in Gaza, was also addressed. In this context, Switzerland reminded Israel at the Security Council of its obligations under international law as an occupying power to ensure that the basic needs of the population in the occupied Palestinian territory are met.
A new dynamic is essential to rediscover a shared sense of humanity and to work toward peace in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. “We know the political solution: It is the two-state solution that offers Israelis and Palestinians the prospect of living in peace and security,” said Cassis. The head of the FDFA expressed Switzerland's support for the efforts of the 94 states (including Switzerland) and organisations that convened in Riyadh at the end of October for the Global Alliance Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Concrete proposals are needed to strengthen and reform the Palestinian Authority through legal, political, and economic measures. Switzerland will also participate in the Alliance's follow-up conference in Brussels on 28 November.
The head of the FDFA further stressed that investing in young people is crucial for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East: “I firmly believe that the younger generations are capable of pursuing the path of reconciliation and combating hatred and extremism. It is to these young people that we must be accountable for our actions.”
