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OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUCNDT #0064/01 0230051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230051Z JAN 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3592
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 1787
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USUN NEW YORK 000064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL KWBG UNSC IS
SUBJECT: GAZA: SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS TO DISCUSS 
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION 
 
REF: USUN 63 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  The Security Council held a public debate 
January 22 on the situation in Gaza.  Public statements were 
delivered by UN U/SYG Lynn Pascoe, all Security Council 
members, Israel, the Palestinians, neighboring states, the 
Arab League, OIC, and NAM.  Amb Khalilad's intervention 
expressed concern for the plight of the Gazans, condemned the 
rocket and mortar attacks, stated that Hamas is responsible 
for the current situation, and noted that the United States 
expected Israel to take all possible steps avoid civilian 
casualties when responding in self defense.  Common themes 
expressed by many delegations in the debate include: concern 
that the situation in Gaza would undermine the process 
launched in Annapolis; condemnation of the rocket attacks; 
opposition to "collective punishment"; and accusations that 
Israel is deliberately targeting civilians and in violation 
of international law.  Details of the interventions are 
included in paras 4-6. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary, cont'd.  Following the public debate, the 
Security Council met privately to discuss a draft 
Presidential Statement (PRST) prepared by the Arab group in 
New York and tabled by Council President Libya.  At the 
beginning of the meeting, Amb Wolff spoke against the idea of 
a PRST in principle, explaining that the United States did 
not believe that the Council could reach agreement on the 
issue in view of the clear divergence of opinions and 
assessments expressed during the public debate.  Thirteen 
Council members argued that it was important for the Council 
to issue a statement and expressed a willingness to work from 
the Libyan draft.  Given the interest in a PRST and the 
willingness to modify the text, Council President Libyan PR 
Ettalhi scheduled additional consultations of the Security 
Council on January 23 to consider a revised PRST.  End 
Summary. 
 
Details of Interventions 
------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) A summary of the debate, as well as the full 
transcript, should be available on the UN website 
(www.un.org, then click on &press center8) by January 23. 
USUN has also e-mailed transcripts of the several 
interventions to IO/UNP and NEA/IPA. 
 
¶4. (U) SECRETARIAT BRIEFING AND PARTIES: 
 
U/SYG PASCOE: 
 
-- Indiscriminate rocket and mortar firing towards civilians 
is totally unacceptable and UN condemns it unreservedly.  UN 
also concerned about Gilad Shalit and weapons smuggling into 
Gaza. 
 
-- Israel must adhere to international law, refrain from 
disproportionate measures, extra-judicial killings, and 
should investigate incidents leading to civilian deaths. 
 
-- Israel must reconsider its closure policy.  Collective 
punishment is prohibited under international law.  SYG Ban 
supports Abbas/Fayyad plan for PA to man crossings into Gaza. 
 
-- Events of the past week threaten the Annapolis process. 
 
PA Observer (Riyadh Mansour): 
 
-- Israel actions are immoral and unbearable and have caused 
a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 
 
-- UNSC should call on Israel to stop all acts of violence 
and terror, lift siege, provide immediate humanitarian access 
to Gaza, and hold Israel accountable to international law. 
 
-- PA ready to operate all crossings into Gaza per plan 
proposed through Quartet envoy Tony Blair. 
 
Israel (Gilad Cohen): 
 
-- UNSC cannot be oblivious to suffering in Sderot.  Israel 
will protect itself. 7000 rockets fired into southern Israel 
since since 2000. 150 percent increase in rocket attacks 
since Hamas coup in June 2007. 
 
-- No equivalence between Palestinian terror targeting 
civilians and Israeli response. 
 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000064  002 OF 004 
 
 
-- If the Palestinians continue to choose Hamas, it will lead 
to more suffering. 
 
¶5. (U) COUNCIL MEMBERS (in speaking order): 
 
Italy: 
 
-- Concerned about Israeli electricity cuts and reduction in 
humanitarian supplies. 
 
-- Call on all parties to cease military action. 
 
Burkina Faso: 
 
-- Gaza situation exacerbated by &Draconian8 Israeli 
measures.  Blockade is unacceptable. 
 
-- Israeli actions are a response to rocket fire from Gaza. 
 
UK: 
 
-- Israel has a right to self-defense, but Israel cannot 
carry out actions designed to cause human suffering.  UK does 
not accept the closure of Gaza and calls on Israel to re-open 
the crossings. 
 
-- UNSC should play its role.  Rocket attacks are 
unacceptable and casualties caused by IDF actions are 
unacceptable.  Actions by both sides are counter-productive 
in search for peace. 
 
South Africa: 
 
-- Rocket attacks must stop immediately but entire Gaza 
population should not be punished as a result. 
 
-- UNSC should call on Israel to permanently lift the 
blockade and keep the crossings open.  Collective punishment 
unacceptable. 
 
-- Israel is still effectively occupying Gaza and is 
therefore bound by the Fourth Geneva Convention. 
 
Russia: 
 
-- Condemn rocket attacks but concerned about IDF reprisals 
that kill civilians. 
 
-- Important for UNSC to react.  Economic restrictions should 
be lifted immediately but &terrorist8 activities must also 
stop. 
 
Indonesia: 
 
-- Israel should lift the blockade immediately. 
 
-- All parties should exercise restraint. 
 
France: 
 
-- Condemn violence in all forms and call for cease-fire. 
Right to self-defense should not be exercised 
indiscriminately. 
 
-- Greatly regret Israeli decision to impose blockade and cut 
off fuel.  Call for restoration of basic humanitarian 
services. 
 
Costa Rica: 
 
-- Endorse SYG statement regretting closure and rocket 
attacks.  But collective punishment cannot be justified even 
by rocket attacks. 
 
-- UNSC should send a message to Israel to respect 
international law and to the PA that it must control its 
territory. 
 
Panama: 
 
-- Rocket attacks are indefensible but Israeli response 
should be proportionate.  Even in war, civilians cannot be 
deprived of basic supplies. 
 
-- UNSC should call for a cease-fire.  Prefer a UNSC 
statement today (January 22) because the world will notice if 
the SC is silent. 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000064  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
Croatia: 
 
-- Rocket attacks and closures are both unacceptable. 
 
China: 
 
-- Call on Israel to immediately cease military operations in 
Gaza, lift closure, and re-open crossing points. 
 
-- International community should ensure Geneva Conventions 
are respected. 
 
-- UNSC members agree more than they disagree.  Impossible to 
resolve all questions about the Middle East in a PRST but can 
focus on humanitarian situation. 
 
Belgium: 
 
-- Rocket attacks unacceptable but no justification for 
blockade of entire civilian population. 
 
Vietnam: 
 
-- Israeli power cuts have created a deplorable situation. 
 
-- But targeting innocent civilians through rocket attacks is 
unacceptable. 
 
Libya: 
 
-- Israel seems to be escalating its military activities to 
derail success of Annapolis.  UNSC must stop &genocide8 in 
Gaza. 
 
-- Israel is punishing Palestinians because they elected 
Hamas.  Israeli actions in Gaza cannot be justified or 
equated with anything. 
 
¶6. (U) OTHER STATES 
 
Saudi Arabia (for Arab League): 
 
-- Israeli actions raise doubts about Israeli commitment to 
Annapolis. 
 
-- Urge an immediate end to siege, embargo, and opening of 
border crossings. 
 
-- Call for international inquiry into &war crimes8 in Gaza. 
 
Lebanon: 
 
-- Call on Israel to explain how children killed by IDF (list 
of children's names read out loud) fit into the category of 
&terrorists.8 
 
-- Israel is practicing collective punishment and committing 
war crimes. 
 
-- Although Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, it controls all 
crossings and therefore is still the effective occupier. 
 
Syria: 
 
-- Israeli claim of withdrawal from Gaza is blatantly false 
as it still controls all its borders. 
 
-- Israel is a &terrorist entity8 which has killed eight 
times more people than Palestinian &resistance8 groups. 
 
-- Rocket attacks are a reaction to IDF assassinations of 
Palestinian leaders. 
 
-- Israel could not act as it does without support of 
&influential states.8 
 
Jordan: 
 
-- Israel should facilitate Jordanian humanitarian relief to 
Gaza. 
 
-- UNSC should put an end to humanitarian tragedy including 
by ending all military activities and lifting the siege and 
closure. 
 
Egypt: 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000064  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
-- Israeli policies violate international law and constitute 
collective punishment. 
 
-- Egypt fully rejects launching of rockets from Gaza into 
Israel. 
 
-- Egypt has worked with Israel to resolve situation. 
Quartet and the UNSC must fulfill their responsibilities. 
KHALILZAD