S/PV.6066
6066th meeting
Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 10.25 a.m.
New York
Protection of civilians in armed conflict
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): As usual, my delegation prepared a statement that was a bit long, and that statement is now before me. However, I find it extremely difficult and am extremely embarrassed to speak before the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict when it has become clear to everyone that there is a huge gap between what the Council says and what it actually does.
The continuing events in Gaza attest to that fact. The civilian population of Gaza has suffered long months of siege and starvation, trapped in a collective prison unprecedented in human history in terms of its scope and nature. Mercilessly deprived of food, medicine, fuel and all of life’s necessities, they have, in legal terms, been subjected to an attempt at genocide by an occupying force that has, regrettably, flouted all international law, including international humanitarian law, and mocked and disregarded all moral and ethical standards.
The tragedy of Gaza has raised serious doubts as to the credibility of the Security Council. The Council has remained unable or unwilling to shoulder its responsibilities during the siege. The position that the Council took regarding the siege sent a clear message to the aggressor that it could escalate its aggression, because that aggression continues. However, could any aggression be more serious than aggression that deprives the people of all of life’s necessities? Thus, Israel has attacked a civilian population that has been deprived of water, starved and weakened by a blind war machine that indiscriminately bombs residential areas, refugee camps, houses of worship, schools and universities, United Nations facilities, humanitarian assistance convoys, ambulances and rescue personnel.
Council members have heard that the numbers of dead and wounded are increasing by the minute; they have seen the magnitude of the destruction, which is increasing every minute; they have seen the child victims of phosphorus bombs; and they have heard that the aggressor has even prevented the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from gaining access to affected areas and reaching victims. The Council has heard statements by eyewitnesses who cannot be doubted, including Mr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the ICRC, and officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), describing Israel’s brutal practices against the civilian population in Gaza.
However, the Security Council continues to be unable or unwilling to do anything. After much procrastination and hesitation, it adopted resolution 1860 (2009). The resolution had absolutely no effect, and the reason for that is clear. Thus, the Israelis have continued to pursue this brutal massacre, unfortunately with the active financial and technical support of some who have also provided the aggressor with munitions to perpetrate its crimes. Those abettors do not hesitate to offer flimsy excuses for their actions, while at the same time setting conditions for an end to the fighting. Those who do so are in no way embarrassed to speak today of the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Developments in Gaza over the past three weeks have surpassed in brutality anything we have seen before. As described by Mr. Ging, Director of UNRWA Operations at the Gaza Field Office, they are a test of our humanity.
I believe that the failure of the Security Council to assume its moral and legal responsibilities for the events in Gaza and its complicity with certain actors in those events have made it extremely difficult for people to hear us speak of legitimacy, ethics and values. This has become an extremely embarrassing exercise for a person like myself, at least, who was raised on Islamic teachings that prohibit attacks on civilians and condemn duplicity and selectivity.
