Palestinian ambassador to the UN addresses General Assembly

Summary

During a United Nations General Assembly emergency special session, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN delivered a poignant speech, highlighting the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He detailed the devastating impact of Israeli bombings on Palestinian civilians, citing over 7,000 deaths, including a significant number of women and children, in less than three weeks. The ambassador emphasized the destruction of homes and infrastructure, appealed for an immediate ceasefire, and urged international leaders to prioritize justice and humanitarian aid over continued conflict.

Takeaways

• 📍 The United Nations General Assembly held an emergency special session focused on the protection of the Palestinian civilian population.
• 🚨 The ambassador to the UN for Palestine emphasized the ongoing crisis in Gaza, with civilians under bombs and families being killed.
• 🏥 There is a dire humanitarian situation with hospitals overwhelmed, neighborhoods destroyed, and people fleeing with nowhere safe to go.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The ambassador highlighted the tragic stories of loss, including 3,000 children killed in the last three weeks.
• 🏠 Over 40% of homes have been destroyed, leaving 1.4 million people homeless and displaced.
• 🤔 The ambassador questioned the justification for the war and the defense of actions that have led to such a high civilian death toll.
• 😔 There is a sense of outrage and disbelief at the lack of urgency to end the killing of civilians and the devastation in Gaza.
• 👥 70% of those killed are women and children, which the ambassador condemns as crimes and barbarism.
• 🏛 The ambassador called for adherence to international law and humanitarian law, criticizing the selective application of these laws.
• 🤝 He urged the international community to act on justice, not vengeance, and to defend the law rather than justify its breach.
• ✊ The ambassador made a plea for a vote in favor of a draft resolution to stop the killing, allow humanitarian aid, and restore credibility to the UN.

Q & A

What is the context of the emergency special session at the United Nations?

The emergency special session at the United Nations is focused on the protection of the Palestinian civilian population amidst ongoing violence and destruction in Gaza.

Who is speaking in the transcript?

The speaker is the Ambassador to the UN for Palestine, Riyad Mansour, who is addressing the General Assembly.

What does the ambassador emphasize the urgency for?

The ambassador emphasizes the urgency to stop the bombings, save lives, and prevent a greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover.

What are the reported casualties in Gaza according to the ambassador?

The ambassador reports that 7,000 Palestinians have been killed, with 70% of them being women and children, and 18,000 people wounded.

What does the ambassador accuse Israel of doing?

The ambassador accuses Israel of committing crimes, barbarism, and war crimes against the Palestinian civilians, including the killing of innocent children and the destruction of homes and infrastructure.

What is the ambassador's stance on the justification of the ongoing conflict?

The ambassador firmly states that nothing can justify the killing of civilians, crimes against humanity, or genocide, and criticizes those who attempt to justify Israel's actions.

What does the ambassador call for in terms of international law and humanitarian aid?

The ambassador calls for the upholding of international law, the provision of humanitarian aid to those in need, and for action to save lives.

How does the ambassador describe the impact of the conflict on families in Gaza?

The ambassador describes the impact as devastating, with entire families being killed, many losing 10 or more members, and the majority of the population being displaced.

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What does the ambassador imply about the perception of the conflict by different parties?

The ambassador implies that there is a double standard, with some showing more empathy for Israeli casualties than for Palestinians, and questions the basis for this disparity.

What is the ambassador's final appeal to the members of the General Assembly?

The ambassador's final appeal is to vote for a resolution to stop the killing, allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need, and to uphold justice, the law, and peace.

What does the ambassador highlight as the consequences of not taking action?

The ambassador highlights that lives are at stake, and by not taking action, the United Nations risks losing credibility, and the humanitarian crisis will continue to escalate.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Urgent Call for Protection: The Plight of Palestinians in Gaza

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN addresses an emergency special session at the General Assembly, emphasizing the ongoing crisis in Gaza. He implores the international community to consider the civilian population's suffering under bombs, with families killed, hospitals destroyed, and neighborhoods leveled. The ambassador highlights the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe with 3,000 children and 7,000 Palestinians killed in recent weeks, urging the assembly to act to prevent further loss of life and regional instability.

05:02

🏚️ The Devastation and Human Cost of the Conflict

The ambassador provides a harrowing account of the destruction in Gaza, with 1,600 Palestinians buried under rubble and 80 families losing 10 or more members. He describes the overwhelming number of wounded, the struggle of medical personnel, and the psychological toll on survivors. The narrative underscores the impact of Israeli military action on civilian homes and infrastructure, leaving 1.4 million displaced and the Israeli foreign minister's call for a resolution that brings people home, highlighting the lack of safe spaces for Palestinians.

10:03

🤔 Challenging Perceptions: The Distinction Between Civilization and Barbarism

The ambassador questions the perceived double standards in the application of international law, suggesting that Israel is held to a different standard. He criticizes those who would justify the killing of Palestinian civilians and condemns the notion that Israel's actions are in any way minimizing civilian casualties. The ambassador calls for an end to the siege and the release of hostages, translating the impact of the crisis onto a scale that would be more relatable to the international community.

15:04

📢 A Cry for Justice and Accountability

The ambassador calls for justice and adherence to international humanitarian law, rather than its distortion to accommodate Israel's actions. He recounts the resilience of the Palestinian people, who have endured military occupation, blockades, and wars, only to rebuild their lives and homes. He condemns those who stand by as Palestinians are slaughtered and calls for an end to the double standards that have characterized the international response to the conflict.

20:06

🕊️ A Plea for Action: Vote for Humanitarian Aid and an End to the Violence

In a powerful conclusion, the ambassador makes a direct appeal to the members of the General Assembly to vote in favor of stopping the killings, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need, and ending the crisis. He emphasizes the sanctity of every life and the moral imperative to act, urging the assembly to choose justice over vengeance and peace over war. The ambassador's plea is punctuated by the personal tragedy of a field correspondent who lost his family to an airstrike, encapsulating the human cost of the conflict.

Keywords

💡General Assembly

The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, responsible for discussing and coordinating on various international issues. In the script, the General Assembly is holding an emergency special session to address the protection of the Palestinian civilian population, indicating the urgency and importance of the situation.

💡Palestinian civilian population

This refers to the non-combatant inhabitants of Palestine, including women and children, who are the focus of the emergency session. The script emphasizes their vulnerability and the humanitarian crisis they are facing due to ongoing conflict, with a significant number of casualties and displacements.

💡Humanitarian catastrophe

A humanitarian catastrophe denotes a situation where there is a severe crisis affecting the health, safety, and well-being of a large number of people, often requiring emergency aid. The ambassador's speech describes the dire conditions in Gaza, with hospitals overwhelmed and a significant loss of life, as a result of the ongoing conflict.

💡War crimes

War crimes are serious violations of the laws and customs of war, which give rise to individual criminal responsibility. The script accuses one side of the conflict of committing war crimes, specifically targeting civilians, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law.

💡Barbarism

Barbarism refers to the state or quality of being uncivilized, brutal, or cruel. The ambassador uses this term to describe the acts of violence and destruction in Gaza, emphasizing the inhumanity of the situation and the suffering of civilians.

💡Displacement

Displacement occurs when people are forced to leave their homes due to violence, war, or natural disasters. The script mentions that 1.4 million people have been displaced, highlighting the scale of the humanitarian crisis and the impact on the civilian population.

💡International law

International law comprises the rules and norms governing the relationships between nations. The ambassador argues that one party to the conflict is breaching international law by targeting civilians and causing widespread destruction, while attempting to justify its actions.

💡Double standards

Double standards occur when different criteria are applied to similar situations or people, often leading to perceived injustices. The speech criticizes the perceived double standards in the international community's response to the conflict, where the suffering of one group is emphasized over another.

💡Human dignity

Human dignity refers to the inherent worth and respect accorded to every individual, regardless of their status. The ambassador calls for respect for the human dignity of the Palestinian people, who are enduring immense suffering and loss of life.

💡Vengeance

Vengeance is the act of retaliating against someone in response to a perceived wrong, often with the intent to cause harm. The ambassador warns against a cycle of vengeance, advocating instead for justice and an end to the violence.

💡Credibility

Credibility refers to the quality of being trusted or believed. The ambassador calls for the United Nations to uphold its credibility by taking decisive action to protect civilians and enforce international law, rather than allowing the continuation of violence and human rights abuses.

Highlights

Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, addresses the General Assembly on the protection of the Palestinian civilian population.

Urgent call for action to prevent a greater humanitarian catastrophe and a regional spillover.

Emotional recount of the ongoing violence in Gaza, with families being killed and hospitals destroyed.

3,000 children in Gaza killed by Israel in the last three weeks.

1,700 women were killed by Israel in the last two weeks.

7,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in the last three weeks, with 70% being women and children.

900 Palestinian children are under the rubble, alive or dead, waiting for rescue.

80 Palestinian families have lost 10 or more members, with some losing up to 45 members.

18,000 people are wounded, many treated in hospital hallways without anesthesia.

Doctors and humanitarian personnel are paying the ultimate price for standing their ground.

1.4 million people are homeless and displaced due to the destruction of over 40% of homes.

Israeli foreign minister's statement questioned, with a call for accountability for the killing of civilians.

Comparison of the Palestinian situation to what it would mean for the Israeli population, emphasizing the scale of the tragedy.

Ambassador Mansour questions the double standards and calls for justice for the Palestinian people.

A plea for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and an end to the killing, emphasizing the sacredness of every life.

A call to uphold international law and protect civilians, rather than offering semantic reassurances.

The ambassador shares a personal story of a field correspondent in Gaza who lost his family in an airstrike.

A strong appeal to the UN to vote for a resolution to stop the violence and provide aid to the Palestinian people.

Transcripts

let me take you to the general assembly

emergency special session at the United

Nations on the protection of the

Palestinian civilian population these

are live pictures from the United

Nations this is the ambassador to the UN

the uh for Palestine let's listen in Mr

President

colleagues let us all

remember we are meeting here while

Palestinians in Gaza are under the

bombs

remember that you are speaking while

families are being

killed while hospitals are coming to a

Hal while

neighborhoods are being

destroyed while people are fleeing from

one place to another with nowhere safe

to

go I urge you to choose use your words

carefully and to act

accordingly for all those

mobilized against an even greater

man-made humanitarian

catastrophe or of a regional spell

over and these are worthy goals we

say stop the bombs or both will happen

stop the bombs and save lives as the

president of the general assembly has

indicated all

lives lives of children of

civilians of 2.3 million civilians in

the Gaza

Strip Mr President in

Gaza a father tells his daughter about

the birthday he was planning for her and

asks her not to miss it a mother laments

my children died before they had a

chance to

eat the thoughts that cross the mind of

a mother in the face of such

grief 3,000 children in Gaza were killed

by Israel in the last almost three weeks

I repeat 3,000 children innocent

children

Angels killed in Gaza during the last 3

weeks a man Embraces his

mother and pleads like a

child come back I beg

you come

back and I will take you

wherever you

want he hugs

her and can let

go but there is

no time to

mourn more death is on the

way

1,700 women were killed by Israel in the

last two

weeks a young man

wrote We will not leave Gaza

we will only leave Gaza to join the

heavens a few days later he

did 7,000 Palestinians have been killed

by Israel in the last Almost 3

weeks 70% of all those

killed are wom and

children almost all killed our civilians

is this the war some of you are

defending let me repeat is this the war

that some of you are

defending can this war be

defended these are

crimes this is

barbarism if you don't if you do not

stop it for all those who were killed

stop it for all

those whose lives we can still

save Janan a little girl under the

rubbles shouts at the people coming to

rescue

her what took you so

long there are 900 Palestinian childr

under the rebels alive or dead wondering

what is taking so long wondering if any

help is is on the

way anas a little boy who is known as

anus crawled from under the rubs not to

find light but more

darkness devastations and death all

around him his ordeal has only

started not

ended

1,600 Palestinians are under the

rubbles and no one can reach them to

save them or bury

them a doctor speaks of a term coined

during this

war wounded child with no surviving

family 80 Palestinian families have lost

10 or more of their

members sometimes up to 45 members of

the same

family were

killed

18,000 people are

wounded many treated in hospital

hallways if at all with no

anesthesia paramedics who have been who

have seen death time and time again

break down and

cry this time is just too

much

un

staff humanitarian personnel and doctors

are standing their ground and paying the

ultimate price for

it this memory is honored by some as if

a natural disaster had killed them not a

UN member

staff as hospitals turn into Mor

doctors and patients alike

wonder is help on the

way is help in the

way they are not listening to the

explanations of some leaders on why the

war has to go

on they just hear the

bombs they just feel the blast they just

face all this death trying to survive or

to honor the pledge they took to save

lives with no means to do

so people are ordered to

evacuate they look at their

children should we head

south will we be bombed on the

way or once

there should we go to a hospital

Courtyard a un School a church

a mosque sleep in our car in the streets

but bombs are

everywhere what choices do you make as a

parent when there are only impossible

choices when death is everywhere

devastations is is

everywhere a man stands in front of his

house turned into Rubble yet another

time after a long pause he

asks how do you bury a

house Israel has destroyed over

40% of all homes making an entire

population homeless and

displaced

1.4 million people in the hope to

forcibly transfer them outside the

territory the Israeli foreign minister

came to the security Council and

said this meeting should conclude with a

clear message bring them

home for millions of Palestinians there

is no home to go back

to for thousands there is no family left

to

embrace not by an act of God but by the

acts of a government represented here in

this

chamber

he spoke of families and their

pain there's not a single family in Gaza

that has not endured epic

suffering he told you horrible it was to

kill

civilians just before justifying the

killing of Palestinian civilians by the

thousands he spoke of the fear felt by

people when Rockets are launched

Israeli bombs have not spared a single

square meter of

Gaza he believes the difference between

civilization and

barbarism is who is doing the killing or

how they do it he believes the laws of

humanity and of our International

law-based order apply to others but not

to

Israel that they protect Israeli lives

and allow the killing of Palestinians

and taking Palestinian lives he believes

Israel can pretend it it is abiding by

the very laws it is breaching live on

your TV screens and before your

eyes that if you say Hamas enough times

the world will not be able to object to

wiping off the face from the face of

Earth entire families four generations

at a time or to a Siege where you let in

enough humanitarian Aid to pretend you

have a sense of humanity but nowhere

enough to address the immense needs that

are grow growing

exponentially as you keep bombing a

besieged

territory he says release the hostages

and takes 2 million Palestinian

hostages let me translate these

numbers compared to the population of

Gaza this is the equivalent

of

28,000 Israelis killed including 12,000

children and

6,800 wom

72,000 wounded

5.6 million

displaced is it more shocking

now more

unacceptable more

outrageous why some feel so much pain

for Israelis and so little pain for us

the

Palestinians what is the

problem do we have the wrong

Faith the the wrong

skin

color the wrong

nationality the wrong

origin let me address all those who have

in these past few days explained why one

should not call for a

ceasefire how can representatives of

States

explain how horrible it is that 1,000

Israelis were killed and can not feel

the same outrage when 1,000 Palestinians

are now killed every

day 1,000

Palestinians killed every

day why not feel a sense of urgency to

end their

killing nothing can justify war

crimes crime against

humanity and

genocide nothing can justify The Kill

of a single Palestinian

child

nothing nothing at

all why not feel a sense of urgency to

end our

killing nothing can as I said justify

war

crimes you are sitting us back 80 years

by trying to justify what Israel is

doing now how naive one has to be or how

hypocritical to pretend they don't know

Israel is Vol voluntarily killing

Palestinian

civilians who can believe that those

killed by Israel are for

70% children and women and that entire

families were killed while Israel is

trying to minimize civilian death they

kill all of us they kill thousands of us

and they say they are trying to

minimize killing

civilians how would it look like if they

were trying to maximize killing

Palestinian civilians if killing 7,000

is to

minimize killing 700,000 would be

possible to maximize

we don't need you to offer us semantic

reassurances about

IHL and protection of civilians we need

you to honor these Norms honor these

Norms not recall them only to justify

their breach seconds

later this selective outrage is

outrageous and needs to stop and need to

stop

now these people you watch in your

screens for a few minutes a day every

night while they are being

slaughtered they have survived Decades

of military

occupation a 16 years long

blockade and five wars in the Gaza

Strip they built and rebuilt and rebuilt

their lives

and their homes again and again Against

All Odds despite tremendous

suffering they are walking

Miracles how could you leave them to be

killed once

again the answer to the killing of

Palestinian civilians is not the killing

of Israeli

civilians and the answer to the killing

of Israeli civilians Is Not the Killing

of Palestinian

civilians vengeance is a dead

end the only path forward is

Justice the only path forward is justice

justice for the Palestinian

people don't distort the law don't bend

it don't break it don't betray it to

accommodate

Israel uphold it and uphold it high this

is what we are here for as a United

Nations to save future Generations from

the scor of

War uphold it for the sake of all

Nations for The credibility of these

United

Nations Mr

President was reporting on the massacres

in Gaza for those of you who do not

who is D he is the field correspondent

of Al jazer in the Gaza

Strip as he's been doing relentlessly

for days now when he received the news

of an Israeli air strike that killed his

wife his son and his

daughter he he did something many

parents do in these circum cumstances

he spoke to his

son waiting for an answer that never

came he told him didn't you tell me you

wanted to be a

journalist his son wanted to be a

journalist even though journalists are

Targets in

Palestine remember

Sharina

now the dream of the

son will HT

father W said a few words that I want

you to hear

well he

said they took their Vengeance out on

our children he then said in a

heartbreaking

voice

malish allow me to

explain explain it to you literally it

means that's

okay but let me tell you what I believe

he meant let me do it in

Arabic shame on this reality where Gaza

is being slaughtered again

shame to on those who do not have

respect to our

Humanity our

dignity our suffering shame on those who

justify the acts of the criminal all

those who stand by the

predator or just

or give condolence to the victim

explaining that the Killer is not

responsible shame on those who abandoned

our

people as we are reallying

under these

massacres shame if a word of Truth is

not

uttered shame if I leave the

field to rather than defending our

people innocent

people God is our

Rock and he is the dispenser of all

[Applause]

affairs

finally I appeal to all of

you vote to Stop The

Killing vote for humanitarian Aid to

reach those whose very survival depends

on it vote to stop this

madness you have a chance to do

something to give an important signal

choose Justice not

Vengeance choose to defend the law not

justify its breach choose peace not more

wars vote to put an end to two almost 3

weeks of the worst double standards we

have seen in decades to restore some

credibility of this place and the rules

it is supposed to EMB

body do not miss this

chance lives are hanging in the balance

and every life is sacred please save

lives save lives save lives vote for our

draft resolution and I thank

[Applause]

you watching Z we're bringing you

coverage of a general assembly emergency

special session on the protection of the

Palestinian civilian population that was

the Palestinian ambassador to the United

Nations Riyad Mansour getting a very

strong and powerful speech there uh

telling emotional stories of describing

the lives of people in Gaza his voice

breaking as he told of 7,000

Palestinians killed since October the

7th 70% of them he said were women and

children he said these are crimes this

is barbarism stop it he said for all

those lives we can still save