Israel must uphold its obligations under international law and take urgent steps to halt the violence in the West Bank: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Israel must uphold its obligations under international law and take urgent steps to halt the violence in the West Bank: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Palestine.
From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and James Kariuki CMG Published 29 June 2026Location: United Nations, New York Delivered on: 29 June 2026 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)The United Kingdom is clear that a two-state solution remains the best way to bring lasting peace to the region and end the cycle of violence that has scarred generations of Palestinians and Israelis.
As we have said numerous times in this Council, the implementation of President Trump’s comprehensive peace plan, endorsed by resolution 2803, is an important step forward towards ending that violence.
Both sides must meet their commitments, with Israel removing restrictions on humanitarian aid, and Hamas decommissioning its weapons.
Today, we focus on the West Bank, where Israel’s policies are eroding the prospects for peaceful co-existence.
And I will highlight three areas.
First, settlement expansion continues in violation of resolution 2334, including the E1 project that aims to cut the West Bank in half and separate East Jerusalem.
This is accompanied by demolitions, evictions, and the displacement of Palestinian communities.
In early June, we saw the approval of over 2,000 settlement housing units across the West Bank, bringing the total approved this year to over 6,000.
On 24 June, Israel declared another 465 dunams of private Palestinian land as state land to make way for a settlement outpost.
My Prime Minister has been clear that we categorically oppose expansion of settlements, which are a violation of international law.
We join this Council in rejecting any attempt at annexation.
Second, as we’ve heard today from the briefers, violence and lawlessness on the ground remain alarming.
According to the UN, there has been an average of six attacks every day against Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of 2026.
The Secretary-General’s recent report highlighted the staggering rise in attacks by settlers on Palestinian children, reportedly often supported by Israeli security forces.
On 17 June, extremist settlers launched arson attacks on two mosques.
These are not isolated incidents but coordinated attacks on civilians, livelihoods, and religious sites, facilitated by a culture of impunity.
Source: gov.uk.