Checked against delivery
Thank you, Mr. President,
And I would also like to thank Special Representative Alakbarov for his briefing.
Mr. President,
We convene today as countries across the Middle East stand on the brink of further escalation.
Once again, Iran is attacking countries in the region and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Denmark strongly condemns these actions, which threaten both regional stability and a key maritime shipping route. We remain committed to the stability of the region.
We also strongly condemn the recent attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including on vessels in the Red Sea. These actions further undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation. We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region and reiterate our call for immediate and unconditional de-escalation.
In Lebanon, we urge all actors to adhere to the trilateral framework agreement and implement their commitments, and call for respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence in line with resolution 1701.
Mr. President,
While these crises demand our full collective attention, they do not diminish our responsibility elsewhere.
As we have heard, the suffering in the occupied Palestinian territory has not paused, and nor should our resolve.
The terrible violence over the weekend across the West Bank demonstrates just how volatile the situation has become.
It comes on top of a series of concerning developments reflecting a broader, systemic trend of erosion of the two-state solution.
This includes the Israeli authorities issuing tenders for the construction of illegal settlements in the E1 corridor, which threatens to separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank and divide the West Bank in two.
It also includes rapid settlement expansion, expelling Palestinians and eroding the social cohesion of Palestinian society. Meanwhile settler violence continues to rise, accounting for 55 per cent of all physical injuries in the West Bank. There are already more Palestinian fatalities linked to settler attacks in 2026 than in all of 2025.
We also see deepening impunity as the IDF either fails to stop violent acts by settlers or actively takes the side of the settlers – without holding perpetrators accountable.
These developments are deplorable and these actions violate international law. We urge the Israeli authorities to take immediate measures to prevent further attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities and ensure the protection of civilians in the West Bank. We further urge the Israeli authorities to ensure effective law enforcement and accountability for perpetrators.
Mr. President,
In Gaza, the situation remains catastrophic. Civilians live in ever shrinking territories, in improvised tents in inhumane conditions, with insufficient access to nutritious food, clean water and basic health care.
The latest report from the IPC shows that more than half of Gaza’s population still faces crisis levels of food insecurity – or worse. Israel’s restrictions on international NGOs operating in the occupied Palestinian territory further undermines stability and Palestinians’ access to basic services.
We call on Israel to allow full, immediate, safe and unhindered access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continue, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including 294 children. 180 Palestinians were killed in July alone. This cannot continue.
The only way forward is for all parties to strictly adhere to the ceasefire agreement. This includes disarmament of Hamas.
Moreover, the International Stabilization Force and the Palestinian police force must be deployed without delay.
Mr. President,
The challenges facing the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza should not be addressed in isolation. They are key obstacles to the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspiration to establish an independent, sovereign and viable state, united under a reformed Palestinian leadership along the 1967-borders, as part of a two-state solution, living side by side, in peace and security with Israel.
In closing,
This renewed escalation across the Middle East and the Gulf shows how fragile regional stability remains. At the same time, we must not lose focus from the suffering of the Palestinian people and the urgent need for a two-state solution.
Denmark will continue to work for both: a stable Middle East, and a credible path toward the two-state solution.
I thank you.
