28.04.2026 Statement for open debate on Middle East
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Thank you, Mr. President,
And let me also thank our very distinguished briefers here today for their extremely useful updates and welcome all the foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers who are honouring us with their presence here today.
Mr. President,
Following many weeks of conflict in the region, we welcome the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and we commend Pakistan and other regional partners for their mediation efforts. We reaffirm our full support for Resolution 2817, condemning Iran’s attacks against regional neighbours.
We hope that the ceasefire will lead to renewed talks between the parties towards a lasting peace and reiterate our position that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.
We call for the full, immediate and unconditional re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the freedom of navigation, in line with international law.
Furthermore, we welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon where the situation remains fragile. This was made painfully clear on 18 April, when peacekeepers from UNIFIL were attacked leading to the death of two French peacekeepers in addition to the earlier loss of four Indonesian peacekeepers as well as the injury of several others. We strongly condemn these attacks and extend our deep condolences to the victims and their families.
We firmly support the UN’s extraordinary efforts to respond to the situation in Lebanon, and we call for rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access.
We urge all parties to respect the territorial integrity of Lebanon in line with Security Council resolutions 1701. And we are encouraged by the historic direct talks between Israel and Lebanon and hope that they will lead to new opportunities for lasting peace.
Mr. President,
The recent escalation in the region must not overshadow the deeply troubling developments in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The situation in the West Bank continues to deteriorate rapidly. Settler violence has reached record levels. According to OCHA, this year, more than 10 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers, and in March alone, 170 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers, the highest number in 20 years.
Palestinians in the West Bank live in a constant stream of injustice and suffering. Relatives are killed or injured, property is demolished, water sources are obstructed. Children are prevented from going to school. Land is seized as more settlements, illegal under international law are legalised under Israeli law, rendering the chances of lasting peace practically impossible.
We urge Israel to immediately halt these measures and we call on Israel to comply with its obligations under international law as an occupying power. We recall that attempts to change the demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territory through forcible transfers and deportations are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Denmark further expresses its deep concern over Israel’s recent approval of the Death Penalty bill and its de facto discriminatory nature. We remain strongly opposed to the death penalty, which we consider inherently inconsistent with human dignity. We urge Israel to abolish the bill.
We welcome the reform efforts by the Palestinian Authority and encourage further efforts in this regard. We also welcome the organisation of the Palestinian local elections on 25 April in these challenging circumstances.
Mr. President,
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the ceasefire has now passed its 6 months mark, and while it still holds, the suffering in Gaza continues.
Humanitarian access continues to be severely restricted with constraints on humanitarian actors, medicines, shelter items, and other items considered dual-use by Israel. We call on Israel to urgently remove all barriers for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid and allow for international NGOs and UNRWA to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Denmark continues to call for the full implementation of the 20-point plan consistent with resolution 2803 and international law. Hamas must lay down its arms, as is being discussed right now in the de-millitarizations talks and Israel must lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid to pave the way for progress on the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. We reiterate that Hamas cannot be a part of any governance in Gaza. Six months after the ceasefire, we had hoped for more progress.
Mr. President,
Many of these points are well known and longstanding. They have been repeated in this Council on multiple occasions.
The most urgent call, which Denmark reiterates resolutely today, is for the suffering to end, and for the path towards lasting peace through the two-state solution to be restored as charted in the New York Declaration. We call on all parties to approach this with greater determination.
I thank you.