New York City, 26 September 2024
Lebanon: Address by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
Check against delivery!
Cher Président,
Nous parlons d’une région au monde où les pires sont généralement certains.
Where the worst is generally ‘vrai’.
So, I would, first and foremost, [like] to express my sympathy for the Lebanese people who have clearly, for a long time, been hostage of a conflict that they do not deserve, and which is far beyond them.
We all know the tragic situation in recent months. You have been explaining it and I will not repeat it. 60,000 Israeli inhabitants forced to leave their homes since October. Now 200,000 Lebanese on the roads forced to flee the fighting while their houses have been systematically destroyed. They will not have anywhere to come back.
I am not going to play the game of blaming one more than the other. But what I know is three things.
First, escalation will not solve anything because war does not solve anything.
Second, what is happening in southern Lebanon cannot be separated from what is happening in Gaza. One thing influences the other. But at the same time, we have to do everything to avoid that southern Lebanon becomes a new Gaza. And it is becoming a new Gaza.
As [the] Secretary-General [of the United Nations, António Guterres] said at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and as many of you have said, when the communication devices were exploding – targeted in its purpose, but indiscriminate in their consequences – they have put the Lebanese people in the night under terror.
The third is that there is a legal basis for settling the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. And this basis, you know, is this famous Resolution 1701. The little problem is that it has been approved more than 20 years ago. 20 years ago – without being implemented.
So, what can we do in the face of [this] escalation, in the face of this procession of death, while the cannons’ sound is behind us? I heard le canon, when I was visiting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters some days ago. And I am asking this question to the Security Council.
And allow me, and excuse me, but sometimes I wonder if it is not better for the [Security] Council to talk about Insecurity – who registers crises, recriminations, and grievances, without solving them. And when they agree on something, not being able to implement it. What a tragedy.
So now, it is up to all of us to do something for a ceasefire along the Blue Line, so that the instinct for life can take precedence over the instinct for death. So that the terrible fatalism that is ours today, in the face of so much horror, can be overcome.
Before coming here, I had the opportunity to speak with the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Still [held], for almost one year.
So, I know how this tragic situation is affecting everyone, Palestinians, Israelis, and now Lebanese.
And I saw some days ago at the Rafah border – by the way, closed – once again, listening the cannon, how the tragic situation in Gaza calls to our conscience.
So please, let’s try to call unanimously for the suspension of hostilities along the Blue Line and implementation of this famous Resolution 1701.
What else can we do? At least let’s agree on that and try to make it implemented.
Let’s call for restraint to avoid the trap of fatality, the one that would have us believe that there is nothing to be done. Yes, something has to be done.
That is the only thing I can do. But naming things is essential. You have to put a name to the things, because refusing to name things only adds to the worst tragedy.
Thank you.
Source – EEAS
Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah
The European Union is extremely concerned with the military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, which started on 8th of October and escalated in the recent strikes in densely populated areas. We deplore the heavy price paid by civilians, including children and UN staff, and urge the respect of International Humanitarian Law in all circumstances.
Any further escalation would have dramatic consequences for the region and beyond. UN Security Council resolution 2749, adopted unanimously on 28 August 2024, urges that all relevant actors implement immediate measures towards de-escalation. We urge both parties to urgently implement a ceasefire across the Blue Line that effectively and immediately ends all cross-border threats, and to work towards the full and symmetrical implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, so as to ensure the safe return of displaced populations on both sides as part of a broader negotiated settlement. The European Union calls on the international community to mobilise in support of ongoing diplomatic efforts to that end. We commend and strongly support the efforts of France and the United States to achieve a negotiated ceasefire. We call on all parties to protect and support the important mission of UNIFIL.
The EU reiterates its strong support for the state institutions of Lebanon, including the Lebanese Armed Forces, and stands ready to help Lebanon to get out of its political impasse. EU member states have a long tradition of supporting Lebanon. Now that the country is facing dramatic moments, the Lebanese people can rest assured that member states and the EU will continue supporting them.
Source – EU Council
Joint Statement by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States