Ambassador Robert Wood
Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs
New York, New York
March 4, 2024
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President. Over the past month, the United States has said clearly and repeatedly that the resolution that was before the Council would not achieve the goal of a sustainable peace, and may, in fact, run counter to it. We did not believe that resolution, in and of itself, would have resulted in a ceasefire. We urged our colleagues not to proceed with a vote and cautioned that doing so could disrupt the intensive efforts already underway to get an agreement that results in the release of the remaining hostages and that produces a temporary ceasefire. That work, alongside partners including Qatar and Egypt, continues as we speak.
To support these sensitive negotiations, we have circulated a draft Security Council resolution that calls for a temporary ceasefire together with the release of all hostages as soon as possible. We have appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the Council on this text and hope that it can be adopted.
This temporary ceasefire would allow hostages to return home to their families. It would bring a halt to the widespread suffering of so many Palestinian children, women, and men who are caught in this crossfire of Hamas' making. And it would help get aid into the hands of Palestinian civilians who desperately need it.
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We will continue engaging on this text so that the Council can finally condemn Hamas for its horrific attacks on October 7, which set this crisis into motion. So that we can empower the United Nations to get civilians aid more efficiently and effectively. And so that, ultimately, we can together help create a future in which Israelis and Palestinians live in states of their own, side by side, and in peace.
The question before us is: What is the most effective way to achieve these goals? And in our judgment, it is the work that the United States is undertaking both here in New York, and on the ground.
And so, we remain committed to engaging constructively on our resolution in the days to come. We will keep working through all channels to expedite humanitarian support for the Palestinian people so that more aid gets in, through more places, to reach more people. And we will continue to engage tirelessly in direct diplomacy and negotiations on the ground. Thank you.
