so-called hush money trial of former president trump. c-span's washington journal. join the conversation live at 7:00 eastern friday morning on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more, including sparklight. >> we are all facing our greatest challenge previous sparklight is working around the clock to keep you informed. >> sparklight supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> the united states has vetoed to you insecure to council resolution that was recommending

palestine be granted full membership to the united nations. russia, china, france, japan, south korea, ecuador, and algeria were among the 12 countries who voted in favor of the resolution, while the united kingdom and switzerland abstain from voting. it comes after a renewed request for full membership. axios points out that the boat comes amid intense pressure on president biden internationally and among his own party to do more to address the dire humanitarian crisis in gaza permit up next, we will show you a portion of the security council meeting before the vote was held. >> the meeting of the security council is called to order. the provisional agenda for this meeting is the situation in the middle east, including the

palestinian question. the agenda is adopted. israel, jordan, kuwait, lebanon, libya, malaysia, maldives,

mexico, morocco, nicaragua, nigeria, pakistan, panama, peru, philippines, poland, portugal, qatar, saudi arabia, south africa, spain, syrian air republic, thailand, tunisia, turkey, uganda, united arab emirates, and the bolivian public of venezuela and vietnam, to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. i propose that the council invite the special representatives of the presidents of the observer state of palestine to participate in the meeting in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure in the previous practice in this regard.

there being no objection, it is so decided. on behalf of the council, i welcome his excellency. in accordance with rule 39 of the councils provisional rules of procedure, i also invite the following individuals to participate in this meeting. chair of the committee on the exercise of inalienable rights of the palestinian people, his excellency, european union representative for the middle east peace process, his excellency, assistant secretary-general of the league of arab states, and the

secretary-general of the union for the mediterranean. it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. i now get the floor to the secretary-general. >> mr. president, excellencies, the middle east is on a precipice. i've seen a perilous escalation of events. one miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake could lead to the unthinkable, the full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved and for the rest of the world. the moment of maximum peril must

be a time for maximum restraint. i reiterate my strong condemnation of the large-scale attack launched on israel, use of force or any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the united nations and as i stated earlier this month, when i condemned the attacks on the consulate in damascus, the inviolability of personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law. it is high time to end the bloody cycle of retaliation. it is high time to stop.

the international community must work together to prevent any action that could push the entire middle east over the edge with a devastating attack on civilians. let me be clear, there is a spiraling on many fronts. we have a shared responsibility to address those risks and pool the region back from the precipice. to do so by comprehensive diplomatic action for de-escalation in the middle east. mr. president, it starts with gaza. ending the hostilities in gaza will significantly defuse tensions across the region. i expressed my call for the immediate release of all hostages held in gaza.

including the use of sexual violence, torture, and the taking of hostages, denial of the most basic values of humanity and the breach of those fundamental rules of international law. in gaza, six months of military operations have created a humanitarian crisis. 2 million palestinians and the denial of lifesaving humanitarian aid and they are now staring down starvation. military operation in rafah would compound this humanitarian tester fee. casualty figures are overwhelming and unprecedented in speed and scale during my time as secretary-general.

according to unicef, or than 30,900 palestinian children have been killed. severe limitations imposed on the delivery for the people in gaza who are facing widespread starvation. israel recently made numerous commitments to improve a delivery. three convoys with a total of 25 trucks were authorized to use -- in northern gaza to deliver food.

security concerns mean it cannot be extended to the same extent on the gaza side. it's often canceled by restrictions elsewhere. for example, although israeli authorities have cleared convoys, those clearances are often granted when it is too late in the day to make deliveries with safety. one can say that our personnel cannot operate in darkness in a war zone littered with unexploded ordnance. so the impact is limited, sometimes neil.

the clearances increase, but there are obstacles to aid the people who are in desperate need. to avert imminent famine and certain preventable death from disease, we must get aid to palestinians in gaza. it is essential, sore clean water, sanitation, and health care. this means addressing the challenges on the ground. humanitarian agencies, the

backbone of our operations, must be able to move food and other supplies safely and i all possible routes and crossings into and throughout every part of gaza. it requires improve delivery systems around all supply routes. 258 aid workers have been killed in gaza. i repeat my call for thorough investigations into these tragic deaths. this last week a convoy was caught in the crossfire. delivering aid requires facilitation of him into tearing operations and improved

communications between military decision-makers on the ground. it is essential and must be implemented immediately. for the moment, our eight operations face face enormous difficulties and are barely functional. they can only seize opportunities to deliver aid whenever and wherever possible. if deterrence alone cannot address the enormity of the need in gaza, the private sector is critical, increasing commercial traffic is essential. what is needed is clear, an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in gaza. the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. the international community has

a shared responsibility to do everything possible to make this happen. mr. president, a comprehensive de-escalation approach must also reverse the explosive situation in the occupied west bank. more than 450 palestinians, including 112 children, have been killed in the occupied west bank since seven october. the majority by israeli forces in the course of their operations and in exchanges between israeli forces and armed palestinians. others were killed by armed israeli settlers, sometimes on the presence of israeli security forces, who reportedly stood by and did nothing to prevent these killings. last year saw the highest number of such attacks and incidents of

violence and intimidation against palestinian communities since the united nations began recording them in 2006. 17 israelis, including one child, have also been killed in the occupied west bank and israel since 7 october. in addition to these numbers, the reported killing of a 14-year-old israeli boy over the weekend set off another wave of armed settler attacks against at least 37 palestinian villages in the occupied west bank. four palestinians were killed, including a 17-year-old boy. i condemn all violence against civilians. i urge israel to make immediate steps to end unprecedented settler violence and hold accountable those who perpetrated such attacks. i call as israel, as occupying power, to protect the

palestinian population of the occupied west bank against attacks, violence and intimidation. the backdrop to this appalling surge in violence is the continued expansion of israeli settlements, themselves a violation of international law, andrew did large-scale -- repeated large-scale israeli operations. together with legal decisions that potentially increase demolitions and evictions. risk undermining the contiguity of a future palestinian state and and i hope to a generation of palestinians. -- and to deny hope to a generation of palestinians. israel must address fiscal challenges strengthening its government capacity and prepare it to assume its responsibilities in gaza in the

future. i urge all actors to recognize the critical role the palestinian authority should play in gaza and work toward enabling its return in the appropriate time. mr. president, the ultimate goal remains a to state solution. israel and palestine living side-by-side in peace and security with jerusalem as the capital of both states on the basis of human resolutions, international law and previous agreements. that means an end to the occupation and establishment of a fully independent democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign palestinian space with gaza as an integral part. the international community has a responsibility and moral obligation to help make this happen. mr. president, regional de-escalation efforts must also

address the extremely fraud situation in lebanon particularly along the blue line. exchange of the fire between israeli forces and hezbollah are exacting a mounting toll on the civilian communities in israel and lebanon. dozens of civilians have been killed. tens of thousands displaced on both sides of the blue line. these exchanges could take on a momentum of their own. strikes deep into the territories of lebanon and israel would ignite an even more serious confrontation as we have seen in the past. i: all parties to exercise maximum restraint. and avoid further breaches under the framework of resolution 1701. the united nations stands ready to support the efforts of several countries to encourage de-escalation and work towards a diplomatic solution.

mr. president, the regional de-escalation efforts must also ensure the safety of navigation on the red sea respecting the rights and duties related to maritime navigation in accordance with international law. houthi attacks on merchant and commercial shipping continue to disrupt global trade. they have been met with strikes by the united states and united kingdom. armed confrontations on this crucial waterway increase risks across the board. risks to supply chains, risks of environmental disaster from a damaged cargo ship or tanker, risks of escalation of confrontation with humanitarian repercussions. all attacks on merchant and commercial shipping on the red sea must end immediately.

the international community must act together to prevent escalation in the red sea that would exacerbate tensions and undermine regional peace and security and national -- international trade. the people of yemen must be supported towards a political process for a sustainable in just peace -- and just peace. the middle east is on a knife edge. recent escalations make it even more important to support good faith to find lasting peace between israel and a fully independent, viable and sovereign, list -- palestinian state. failure to make progress towards a two state solution will only increase volatility and risk for millions of people across the region who will live on of the constant threat of violence. -- under the constant threat of violence. i urge every government to promote trust building, mutual

security and regional peace. we have a shared moral obligation to address the comprehensive middle east de-escalation effort to reduce risks, increased ability and pave the way towards peace and prosperity for the countries and people of the region and beyond. >> i thank the secretary-general for his briefing. i now give the floor to his excellency, special representative of the president of the observer state of palestine. >> mr. president, your excellency, the secretary-general mr. antonio guterres, your excellency's ladies and gentlemen. it is my honor to join you today in this important meeting.

i would especially thank you, mr. president, for holding and presiding over this ministerial meeting. i would also like to express the gratitude of the state of palestine to the secretary-general of the united nations, mr. antonio guterres, for his wise leadership of this organization. especially given the catastrophe that is currently happening in the gaza strip. i would also like to thank algeria for placing the palestinian cause as a priority on the agenda of the council. including the member of the state of palestine in the united nations. we would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the countries that recognize the state of palestine and steeples

of the world that believe in the right to self-determination in our land, as stated palestine. we also thank the companies that developed their relations and cooperated with us. and we do hope that these countries will recognize the state of palestine as soon as possible based on the principle of sovereign equality between nations and mutual respect. we also renew our gratitude to all countries that supported palestine receiving the status of observer state. and the state that called on the security council to look into and consider the full membership of this state of palestine in the u.n. we also thank our countries and the nonaligned movement for

joining this request based on the riyadh summit. mr. president, ladies and the plight of the palestinian people has started over a century ago it is still ongoing. the palestinian people were the victim of defense and international -- defense and international decisions that were outside their control. the palestinian people are the victim of a history that is not of their making. this people has suffered a catastrophe in 1948 and israeli occupation since 1967. we are still longing to practice our right to self-determination. you live in freedom, security and peace, and an independent state similar to other countries around the world. we have made and continue to make great sacrifices to achieve

this goal. since 1988, the palestinian leadership represented by the plo, the only legitimate representative of the palestinian people. the palestinian leadership has showed preparedness to close the chapter of conflict and sit at the negotiation table to find a comprehensive of and permanent solution for the palestinian question. in this regard, we have made every possible genuine effort. we have made unimaginable historic concessions in order to achieve a peace that is based on the two state solution, to guarantee the establishment of an independent palestinian state that is sovereign along the lines of june 4, 19 627 with east jerusalem as its capital in addition to resolving the issue

of palestinian refugees based on resolution 194, a palestinian state that lives with its neighbors in security and peace. since 1993, the palestinian leadership chose the path of negotiations, hoping these negotiations will result in the desired solution. the international community supported the principle of two state solutions and this culminated in excepting the state of palestine as an observer member in the general assembly in 2016. since then, the state of palestine has called on the world to accept it as a full member of the united nations. because we believe that an international resolution of this regard will protect the two state solution.

and it will reflect the palestinian peoples legitimate right to an independent state. however, unfortunately, some tried to hinder the adoption of this resolution under weak pretenses. granting palestine full membership at the united nations will lift some of the historic injustice that succeeding palestinian generations have been subjected to. it will open wide prospects before a true peace based on justice and peace that the countries and peoples of the region will enjoy. in this regard, it is our right to wonder how could grant and recognize the state of -- how could granting the state of palestine full membership at the

united nations, similar to other countries around the world, how could this damage the prospects of peace between palestinians and and raley's -- israelis? how could this recognition and membership harm international peace and security? this question, ladies and gentlemen, we ask it specifically to the united states and other countries that oppose granting the state of palestine full membership. at a time when they recognize israel, which is the other party in the israeli-palestinian conflict, and have granted israel full membership at the united nations. those who say that recognizing the palestinian state must happen through negotiation and not through a human resolution, we wonder once again how was the state of israel established? how was it recognized. wasn't that through a resolution, resolution 181?

although israel did not honor the conditions to accept its membership at the united nations . that is implementing resolutions 181 and 194.such a decision to grant the state of palestine full membership will be an important pillar to achieve peace in our region. because the palestinian-israeli conflict in its different dimensions now goes beyond the borders of palestine and israel. and apex -- impacts other regions in the middle east and around the world. therefore we believe it is high time for the security council to shoulder as historic responsibility to give justice to the palestinian people by adopting a resolution to accept palestine as a full member of the united nations.

those who are trying to disrupt and hinder the adoption of such a resolution. they are not helping the prospect of peace between palestinians and israelis. and the prospects for peace in the middle east in general. this resolution naturally will not be the alternative for serious political negotiations to implement the two state solution or relevant security council nga resolutions. however this resolution will grant hope to the palestinian people. hope for a decent life within an independent state. after this hope has dissipated over the past years because of the intransigence of israeli government that has rejected the solution publicly and blatantly.

especially following the district of war against the gaza strip and the reoccupation of this trip i israel. in this regard, the state of palestine would like to express its thanks to all the countries that recognize the state of palestine. and seriously support granting the state of palestine full membership in this international organization. ladies and gentlemen, over the past 12 years, after palestine was granted observer status of the general assembly, the state of palestine played a positive and constructive role in your august organization. we hope you will give it the opportunity to become an integral part of the international community that is

working to achieve international peace and security. mr. president, today we are asking for full membership for the state of palestine at the united nations. however, this does not mean that we forgot what is happening in the gaza strip. this comprehensive destructive war waged by israel against our people over the past six months. it has claimed the lives of over 35,000 palestinians, 85,000 were wounded mostly women and children and the elderly. they have destroyed most vital facilities in the gaza strip. they destroyed homes, roads, hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, churches, water and energy supplies.

they displaced the majority of residents of this trip -- the strip. the majority of the strip cannot live there anymore because it was destroyed. gaza will come back. what will be destroyed is the occupation. the attack of the israeli army continues they continue to terrorize our people in different cities, villages and camps. in the west bank and jerusalem. it is high time for this war into these attacks to stop. it is high time for this occupation to end. your august council, we call on you today morlan never to swiftly intervene and take the necessary measures to compel israel to put an end to its aggression to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to a starving people.

to immediately with draw from the gaza strip, to comply with international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy. the international community cannot stand idly by, while a country is above international law and enjoys impunity. israel shoulders the full responsibility for the great distraction that the gaza strip suffered from because of its continued aggression. it is also the responsibility of countries that supported israel with weapons and funds. that have provided israel with political protection. we rely on peace-loving nations to end this war and aggression, and provide support and relief to the residents of the gaza strip. everyone must recognize this, israel particularly, that

security cannot be achieved with endless wars as long as occupation stand. a peace based on justice, this will achieve security and stability for all. history has taught us that our region will not enjoy stability without the establishment of an independent palestinian state along the lines of june 4, 1967 with east jerusalem as its capital to live in security and peace with its neighbors. ladies and gentlemen, an international resolution to grant palestine full membership at the united nations under these dark circumstances and as the war of full destruction continues against the gaza strip and its residents, this international resolution would

be a projection to aggression. it would insist on respecting international law, human rights and the right of the palestinian people to live in freedom and dignity. this is the perfect time, ladies and gentlemen, for the international community and your council to shoulder of political, legal and moral responsibilities towards a just palestinian cause and the right of the people to freedom and independence. so that the principles of justice and peace can prevail. i trust that you will stand with the palestinian justice. i thank you. >> i thank his excellency, mr. abu amr, for his statements. i now give the floor to the representative of israel. >> thank you, mr. president.

distinguished ministers, colleagues, secretary-general, how many times has this council met to discuss ways to advance the release of our hostages held in gaza? how many times? not even once. how many condemnations has this council issued against hamas for their heinous october 7 massacre? zero, zero. yet rather than condemning hamas's atrocities or taking real action to bring our hostages home, this council will be voting upon a resolution to recommend granting the palestinian authority full membership status, a palestinian state. how detached from reality can this council be to dedicate its

time and resources to support a resolution so disconnected to the reality on the ground? the resolution that will have zero positive impact for any party. that will cause only destruction for years to come. and harm any chance for future dialogue. colleagues, six months after october 7, the most brutal massacre of jews since the holocaust, this council seeks to reward the supporters and perpetrators of these atrocities with statehood. the child murdering,'s rapists are -- hamas rapists are watching this meeting and smiling. there is no bigger pride for terror than today's meeting. let me remind everyone, the basic requirement for admission to the un are a permanent

population, defined territory, government and capacity to enter relations with other states. but above anything else, a very important principle stated in article 4 of the u.n. charter is, and i quote, membership in the united nations is open to all peace-loving states. peace-loving, what a joke. does anyone doubt that the palestinians failed to meet these criteria? does anyone here, any palestinian leader even condemned the massacre of our children? the palestinian authority has absolutely no control over gaza. you all know it. everyone knows it. even in judea and samaria, entire neighborhoods and cities are ruled by gangs.

and the palestinian authority, ironically, has no authority. so who is the council voting to recognize today and give full membership status to? hamas in gaza, palestinian islamic jihad in nablus, who is going to be in charge? while this in itself is grounds enough to reject this sick reward for palestinian terror, the palestinian authority is the opposite of a peace-loving entity. the palestinian authority's not only have not condemned to be october 7 massacre, they are also paying monthly salaries to all the terrorists that took part in it. rewarding the rapists. this is a genocide-loving entity that doesn't deserve any status here. but sadly, to some of the members here, the palestinians'

inability to meet the criteria simply doesn't matter. it doesn't matter because to some of you, palestinian statehood has nothing to do with the u.n. charter or legal criteria. all it has to do with his politics and interests. the u.n. charter is important to them only when it can be used against israel. the report from the council's commission on the admission of new members states in black and white. let me quote from clause three of the report, your report. several members expressed the view that the admission of the state of palestine to membership in the united nations was a political matter, rather than a technical or legal requirement. in other words, u.n. charter be damned. international law be damned. i reiterate, international law and order are only important

when they can be weaponized against israel. but if breaking the law means advancing the unilateral establishment of a palestinian terror state, then by all means. they are just empty words on paper, right? this council has decided to focus on at the expense of all other calamities around the globe is to grant a price to terrorists. -- prize to terrorists. granting the perpetrators of october 7 full membership status in the u.n. the violent reward for their violent crimes. if this resolution passes, god forbid, this council should no longer be known as the security council but as the terror council. the only thing that a forced unilateral recognition of a palestinian state will do, is make any future negotiations almost impossible. as long as the palestinians feel they can exploit this body to

their benefit, why would they bother at the negotiating table or support any compromise? do you honestly think that this resolution will make a solution more likely or change anything on the ground? the palestinians have rejected every peace plan ever made -- ever made. and they continue to encourage terror and boycott negotiations. now they know that their rejectionism pays off. they can say, no, no, no, to any american president but still get what they demand because the u.n. is guided by politics, not morality or truth. all this council is accomplishing through this destructive approach is making a solution unattainable. the u.n. is no longer about multilateralism, sadly. it is now committed to

multi-terrorism. at the security council, terror pays off. it is shameful. i've always called out the political rot within the u.n. but sadly here nothing is based on truth and justice but toxic politicization. today, the mask has finally fallen, the council has exposed itself. please, do not give in to politics. do not support this dangerous resolution. how can you support a resolution that is so destructive and immoral at the worst possible moment? colleagues, the council was not the only entity to expose its true face this week. on saturday night, with the launch of over 300 uavs, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles launched at israel, the ayatollah's mask also fell. iran exposed itself as the terror state that it is.

today marks another milestone in the ayatollah regime's blood-soaked history. on april 18, 1983, a chevrolet pickup truck packed with 2,000 pounds of explosives sped through the gates of the u.s. embassy in beirut. crashed into the building and detonated. this blast killed 63 people. you are talking a lot about embassies and the importance of embassies. and hezbollah claimed responsibility. and today, april 18, 2024, exactly 41 years later, this council, the security council will be addressed by an arch-terrorist who's regime funds, arms, and directs hezbollah. the ayatollah regimes

foreign minister who is a member of the iranian revolutionary guard corp. this terrorist organization is responsible for carnage, bloodshed and destruction worldwide. from terror attacks in south america and assassination plots on european and american soil to arms trafficking in africa and terror sponsorship in the middle east, the irgc is in the business of murder. the irgc is a designated terrorist organization not only in israel, not only in the united states, in bahrain, in saudi arabia. both i, and my arab and american colleagues agree, that the man who will address this council later today is a terrorist. and his presence here on today of all days is further proof of how the u.n. has become a haven for dictatorships and terror regimes to whitewash their crimes. colleagues, it is iran that

ensured hamas was able to orchestrate the october 7 massacre. it is the ayatollah regime in toronto that has provided weapons to hezbollah to rain down missiles on israeli towns and cities. it is the ayatollah regime in tehran that has equipped with houthis with cruise missiles to fire at merchant vessels. and it is the ayatollah regime that launched an unprecedented attack at israel, a fellow member u.n. member state less , than a week ago. yet instead of designating the irgc as a terrorist organization in sanctioning the people regime the security council opened its doors for iran's foreign minister, a terrorist. can you not see what is going on here? terror minister is not here to express sorrow for his regime's brazen attack and sell this council the islamic republic has

changed its ways. he's here to make a mockery of you. he's here to show you all in your suits and with your diplomatic niceties that his country can launch an attack on another member state on and then saturday. he can come here on thursday to lecture you all on human rights and international law. minister abdolians presence here today is making this institution a joke. sadly it is clear to every dictator in terrorist state that the u.n. has lost every ounce of justice and now it's a blob of politicized plasticine that can be molded however they choose. and the council plays along with this destructive charade. colleagues if you still believe that this body holds any relevance, then i ask you, i even beg you, what action has been taken by the council against iran for its attack against israel this week?

the foreign minister for genocidal regime will speak here today as his country hurdles towards nuclear weapons. has this council taken any action to prevent this? nope, nothing. instead, we're gathered today to discuss the situation in gaza. has it occurred to any of you that the terror minister abdolian is here to make sure that you focus on gaza as opposed to his own regime's crimes? sadly, you are being spoon-fed a script. it was written by haminaih, a nd edited by sinwar, a script crafted by terrorists. due to this script terrorists commits acts of terror and when israel defends itself, the u.n. will pressure israel to a ceasefire and ensure their survival.

the terrorists know that nothing captivates the u.n.'s attention more than israel. as long as israel is defending itself, all other human rights violators can continue committing crimes. your eyes will remain on gaza as the rest of the world burns. and this is precisely what is happening today. you sit here focused, again on israel. focused on gaza. we will hear talk of international law, human rights and many other terms, this council loves to toss around. but in reality this council cares nothing about human rights or international law. you even refuse to visit our communities in southern israel and i invited all of you that were devastated by hamas. everything is political and distorted. you know better than most that

the ayatollah regime is mere weeks from nuclear capabilities. this global sponsor has proxies across the region sewing death and destruction. but iran has immunity here because this rogue regime has allies here on this council that protect it. and its terror proxies. this is the reason why you will never designate hamas and hezbollah as terror organizations despite the whole world knowing that they are. a war still rages in ukraine as the country that started it sits here on this council preaching about peace and the defense of civilians. this is a backwards world. search is or helicopter this week, we mark the one-year anniversary of the war in sudan, millions have fled their homes. millions more starve, countless civilians have been murdered. since the start of the war in

sudan, has this council held a single minister level meeting on the atrocities? no, not one. but today marks the fourth ministerial security council debate on gaza, the fourth. four on gaza and not one in sudan in the past year. the double standard here knows no bounds. the amount of time, effort and resources poured into gaza makes it seem as if the rest of the world is a pure utopia. that outside of gaza, we live in a carefree world. hakuna matata. the only people this meeting serves are the ayatollah and sinwar. some of you may think you are serving the palestinians but you're not. by holding this meeting you are supporting khomeini and sinwar. and hardly any of you seem to notice. colleagues, if the u.n. cannot prevent wars or defend human

rights, it has lost any reason to continue operating. the day will come when this organization will be shuttered. the u.n. as we know it will cease to exist and in its place will stand a body that truly cares about human rights, that is capable of putting politics aside for the sake of justice, morality and humanity. when that day comes, and it will, this meeting and the vote to force the establishment of a palestinian nazis date will be remembered as the catalyst of the u.n.'s collapse. a meeting where the world burns but all that concerns the security council was helping terrorists in gaza survive, a meeting where a terror entity could be given full membership status. this is how far the u.n. has fallen. this is why the u.n. in its current format has no future.

i truly pray -- pray for brighter days, for a time where the u.n. can successfully combat the forces of darkness not welcome them and be influenced by them. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative from israel for their statement i shall now make a statement in any capacity. i thank the secretary general for his presence here today and for his stark and sobering brief. we are experiencing one of the bleakest and most volatile periods in modern history. as underlined by the secretary general last sunday, the middle east is at the brink of a full-scale conflict, one, which we need to collectively avoid by calling on all parties to show restraint. these latest events continue the

downward spiral witnessed in the six months since the heinous terror attacks of hamas on the 7th of october and the beginning of military action by israel in gaza. it provides further proof of the importance of an immediate and permanent cease-fire in -- gaza and the need to create a political horizon in the middle east. it's completely worrying and completely unacceptable that this council's demand for a cease-fire in accordance with resolution 27 and 28 has been disregarded by the parties. we wish to reiterate that under article 25 of the charter, the members of the notion agreed to accept and -- of the united nations agreed to accept the agreement by the security council. we have consistently condemned

hamas for its reprehensible terrorist attacks on the 7th of october including the murder of over 1,200 israelis, the take of hostages and any acts of sexual violence committed. the trauma from the dark day will forever haunt the israeli people particularly those who still suffer daily knowing their loved ones are still held hostages by hamas. once again we reiterate our demands that hamas release all hostages immediately and unconditionally. further in gaza, it's not only the hostage who are suffering. over 33,700 palestinians have been killed. most of them women and children. thousands have been injured or maimed. countless others remain

unaccounted for missing under the rubble of ruined neighborhoods. the prospect of a further escalation into raf where over one million displaced civilians are struggling daily to survive is unconscienable. with threats our firm rejection of any ground offensive into raf and any further displacement of palestinians. with over half of the population on the cusp of a man-made famine, coupled with the decimated health system, children are also dying from a lack of food and water. according to unicef, today in gaza one in three children under the age of 2 years are acutely mall nourished.

targeted attacks on healthcare violate all the unique protections under international law for pregnant, birthing and post-partum women as well as children. we stress that all parties have a legal obligation under international law including international humanitarian law to protect civilians. in line with this -- the provisional orders of the international court of justice on 26 january and 28 march must be complied with. excellencies, since the beginning of this conflict, the deliberate levels of aid in gaza has been highly insufficient due to physical restrictions and bureaucratic impedestrianments. we reiterate that the denial of humanitarian assistance is a grave violation of international law and to use it as a weapon of

war may constitute a war crime. and we further agree that it must be guaranteed. they must conduct about independent investigation into all killings of u.n. and humanitarian staff. commercial trade must also be allowed to resume as the people of gaza cannot remain dependent on aid alone. in the words of the secretary general a paradigm shift is needed to address the conditions in gaza. just yesterday, this council held the briefing on the indes penceable nature on the life-saving services. the agency is a civilizing force in the region and demands our

continued support and resources. turning tothe wider region, the ripple effect of the war in georgia and what we have -- in gaza and what we have witnessed has been deeply troubling. the increased escalations and squirmishes in the west bank, lebanon, syria, iraq and yemen pushes the reason closer to a con flag ration. the immediate restraint is of paramount importance. international law and diplomacy must be our guiding principles. in the west bank, rising violence targeting civilians and intensifying military operations push the occupied palestinian territory into further instability. the illegal israeli settlements, demolition of palestinian

property and violence are an obstacle to peace and violate international law and threaten the viability of a two-state solution. we call on israel to reverse such actions by the security council resolution. we welcome ongoing efforts toward reinforcing and repatronizing the palestinian solution. it must be in line with the two-state solution and with gaza's part of an independent palestinian state. fundamentally, a just resolution of this conflict demands a reality which embraces for u.n. membership and statehood. it demands a reality in which israelis live in security without being held hostage by the threat of terrorism.

the parameters of realization of this vision are well known and must be pursued as a matter of urgency. malta reaffirms its unwavering commitment to a political solution based on the two-state solution along the pre1967 board ertz addressing the aspirations of both sides with jerusalem as the future capital of two states living side by side in peace and security. this is in line with the security council resolution and the greed parameters. i thank you. and i resume my function as president of the council. and i now give the floor to the representative of the united states. >> thank you, mr. president. and i want to thank the secretary general for his appearance here and his briefing. colleagues, we needed a moment of -- meet in a great moment of peril. iran including hamas has driven

us to the precipice of a border conflict. the united states condemns iran's direct attack on israel, which we along with israel and other partners help to defeat. there is no doubt iran's aim in launching more than 300 munitions at israel was to inflict significant damage and cause a loss of life. the u.s. commitment to israel's security is ironclad, repeat, ironclad. europe contributions to israel's defense are a clear manifestation of that commitment. sit vital that the international community is united in condemning iran's reckless es cha latory act which is a direct threat to international peace appear security destabilize the region and endanger its own people. in response, the united states announced sanctions this morning against several actors involved

in iran's unmanned aerial vehicle program, suppliers and customers of one of iran's largest field producers and automobile companies with connections to the u.s. designated islamic guard core and the armed force logisticses. we anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions and we will continue to disrupt the networks that support the reckless proliferation of weapon that is destabilize the middle east and beyond. the security council must also not let iran's action got unanswered. indeed, for far too long, iran is flagrantly violated the international legal obligations notably through the actions of the irgc. iran has armed hezbollah in violation of security council resolution 1701 it has also armed, facilitate

enabled hootie attacks on saudi arabia on the u.a.e. and more recently merchant and commercial shipping in the red sea in clear violation of resolution 2216 and in defiance of resolution 2722. iran has transferred one-way attack zones at a time when such transfers were in clear violation of resolution 2231. iran has also repeatly violated international law by targeting with mines and seeing commercial ships in the persian gulf and surrounding water ways just as it did on april 12. iran has provide significant funding and training for the military wing of hamas which as we know perpetrated unacceptable acts of cruelty on october 7, against against valeies,

americans and citizens from countries all over the world this. long-standing iranian support continues to contribute to the current crisis in gaza. while iran's minister will offer excuse for these actions today, we have a collective responsibility to set the record straight tony: sure that iran comply the council's resolution and ceases the violation of international law. colleagues, the united states is committed to strengthening our corporation to end the crisis in gaza including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable cease-fire as part of a deal to release hostages by hamas and increase humanitarian assistance to palestinian civilians in need. hamas, however, continues to reject offers from israel that would halt fight and release hostages. over and over and over, if hamas accepted the offer israel has

made, it would allow for an immediate cease-fire that would benefit palestinians immediately. hamas should take this deal. if not, they should explain to the world and to the palestinian people why they have yet do so because right now hamas is the sole obstacle to a cease-fire in gaza. the sole obstacle. colleagues, it is extraordinary the extent to which hamas has been almost erased from the story of what is happening in gaza. none of what we've seen in gaza would have happened had hamas released the hostages, put down its weapons, stop hiding behind civilians and in ton else in and -- and in tunnels and surrendered. the ball is in hamas's court and the world is watching to see what it does. president biden has called on

israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to protect civilians from harm and direct humanitarian suffering and ensure the protection of aid workers. the president has made clear that u.s. policy with respect to gaza will be determined by our assessment of israel's immediate and sustained action on these steps. we welcome israel's decision to open more land crossings. we need immediate implementation of these commitments. we need immediate results. as gaza faces eminent famine, lives depend on it. we reiterate our support for senior coordinator and call on israel to corporate to facilitate humanitarian assistance at scale. over 240 humanitarians have been

killed there cannot be any more. we reiterate our call for israel tole implement immediate measures to remediation the deficiencies so that humanitarian personnel can safely perform their life-saving work. colleagues the united states also remains gravely concerned by the tensions in the west bank. we strongly condemn the murder of 14-year-old israeli benjamin akimir and the violence against palestinian property that ensued resulting in dozens of injuries, property damage and the killing of two palestinians 24-year-old jihad abu-alia and omar ahmad abudani hamed. our thoughts are with their loved ones. civilians are never legitimate targets. we call on the authorities to take measures to protect all

communities are harm and we urge israel and the palestinian authority to do everything possible to de-escalate tensions. additionally, the united states will continue to impose our own sanctions on people involved in violent activities in the west bank. colleagues, the united states reiterates its commitment to continue working to address the multiple challenges we face in the middle east today. we will support israel as it faces unprecedented threats from iran and reiterate that iran must comply with all u.n. resolutions and the charter. at the same time, we will also continue direct diplomacy to advocate for normalization of ties between israel and its neighbors as well as the political horizon towards a two-state solution so that palestinians and israelis can live side by side in peace. we are committed to achieving

credible, time-bound and irreversible steps toward a two-state solution. mr. president, the representative of the russian federation has criticized a u.s. resolution to put forward on the situation in gaza. the country has worked harder than the u.s. for peace in the region. rusha has done nothing under -- russia has done nothing. i've said this many times, russia is in no position to criticize any member of the security council giving the war crimes it is committing on a daily basis in ukraine. for russia, the tragic situation in gaza is nothing more than an

opportunity to distract attention from the horrific war being conducted against the people of ukraine. thank you, >> the united states vetoed a un security council resolution recommending palestine be granted full membership to the united nations. russia, china, france, japan, south area, ecuador and algeria were among the 12 countries who voted in favor of the resolution while the united kingdom and switzerland abstained from voting. their vote comes after the palestinian ambassador to the u.n. renewed the request for full membership amid the war in gaza. the vote comes amid president -- pressure on president biden to do more to address the humanitarian crisis in gaza. >> c-span's "washington journal"

our live forum involving you to discuss the latest issues of government, politics and public policy from washington, d.c. and across the country. friday morning, a national political reporter discusses efforts to move forward with separate bills to provide assistance to ukraine, israel and u.s. allies in the indo-pacific. then a number of the brookings institution on differences between president biden and president trump. and a harvard university law professor talks about the jury selection process overall, specifically, in the so-called hush money trial of former president trump. he's bengs "washington journal" join the conversation live at 7:00 eastern friday morning on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org.