Kingdom of the Netherlands' explanation of the vote at the Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 12 December 2023

Diplomatic statement | 12-12-2023

Mr. President,

I thank you for reconvening this Emergency Special Session. I also wish to take this opportunity to express my unwavering support for the Secretary General of the United Nations. We take his call on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including his decision to invoke Article 99 of the UN charter, very seriously.

The current situation in Gaza is horrendous. Too many innocent lives have been taken, the scale of suffering and destruction in Gaza due to Israel’s bombardments is heart wrenching. Medical facilities are under extreme duress. The collective suffering of the people in Gaza, among which many children, should stop. We mourn the loss of lives of all civilians including journalists, UN personnel, humanitarian workers and medical staff. Our thoughts are with their loved ones.

Urgent and immediate action is needed to halt the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 80% of the population is internally displaced, there is no effective protection for civilians and they have nowhere to go. No place in Gaza is safe now. The humanitarian system is on the verge of collapse with the risk of starvation and outbreak of infectious diseases. The resolution contains important messages in this regard as well as the essential demand to release all hostages. Therefore we worked hard to reach an agreement on the text that would enable a vote in favour of this resolution.

However, the lack of clarity on the temporary nature of a humanitarian ceasefire in the text creates confusion. We tried to change the text accordingly, but our proposals were unfortunately not accepted as the text was not open for further negotiations. The resolution further lacks a reference to the heinous attacks by Hamas. Based on these considerations, the Kingdom of the Netherlands abstained on the resolution.

Mr. President,

The harsh reality is that attacks from Hamas and elsewhere in the region continue. Case in point are the repeated Houthi missile attacks targeting Israel and vessels in the Red Sea. Israel’s continued need to defend itself against continuous attacks therefore still stands, with respect for international humanitarian law. 

The Kingdom of the Netherlands remains shocked at the heinous terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. The spiral of violence that followed has seen too many civilian casualties. It is of the essence that both parties do everything to ensure that civilians are protected, in line with international humanitarian law. We need to see more urgent action.

Mr. President,

The way Israel implements self-defense matters. We consistently and explicitly urge Israel to demonstrate restraint. And we consistently stress the importance of proportionality and necessity in its current operations. In that light, we expect of Israel:

1. That it does everything to ensure that civilians are protected. This is an obligation and a necessity.
2. To ensure that direct and unhindered humanitarian assistance gets to the people of Gaza. This is an obligation under international law. Now that the fighting has resumed and needs in Gaza are escalating, decreasing aid influx is unacceptable. The decision to open Kerem Shalom for the inspection of humanitarian aid trucks is a much needed step in the right direction. But much more is needed. Aid needs to pass through, including fuel and medical supplies. These goods also need to reach all those in need in Gaza.
3. And we expect Israel to ensure that humanitarian workers are able to work in Gaza safely and without constraint. This is also an obligation under international law.
4. We also reiterate that settler violence is completely unacceptable. Under occupation law, the IDF has an obligation to actively protect Palestinian civilians from violence. Israel needs to act decisively and urgently to stop the settler violence and illegal annexations in the West Bank, which further destabilizes the situation in the region.

In this context we urgently call for immediate, new, substantial, frequent humanitarian pauses.

The ending of suffering of innocent people is an obligation, but not an end in itself. This conflict needs a political solution in accordance with international law.

I thank you.