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Madam President, 

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. 

2. We thank you, President, for convening this debate following the vote in the Security Council on 18 September 2025. We also thank the E10 for their efforts in tabling a resolution, which received the support of 14 Council members.

3. The EU welcomes President Trump’s commitment to ending the war in Gaza, which offers a way out of this devastating conflict, ensuring an immediate ceasefire and release of all remaining hostages, and guaranteeing the provision of full humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, with a central role for the UN and its agencies – all elements that have long constituted core EU priorities.

4. The EU deplores the fact that Hamas has not yet released, unconditionally, all the hostages that it holds, and calls on Hamas to do so immediately. It also deplores the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, especially children, and the levels of starvation. The IPC (The Integrated Phased Food Security Classification) confirmed famine in the Gaza Governorate, where Gaza City is located. The EU calls for immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with international law and reaffirms the urgency of full, rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid at scale for Palestinians in need, and of allowing and facilitating humanitarian workers and international organisations to operate safely and effectively inside Gaza. We call on Israel to fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. Suffering of the civilian population must stop. 

5. To that end, the EU High Representative maintained diplomatic engagement with Israeli authorities to facilitate the delivery and distribution of aid. However, the quantities distributed to the people in need remain insufficient as compared with the needs of the population. 

6. In light of the deteriorating situation, the President of the European Commission proposed a package of measures to address the situation on the ground.

7. President, the EU, once again, unequivocally condemns Hamas’ brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023. We reiterate that Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future and must never again be a threat to Israel. We affirm our readiness to engage with Arab partners as well as the United States on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace, with a credible pathway to Palestinian Statehood. 

8. The EU urges all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 

9. We reiterate the essential role of the UN agencies, including UNRWA, which provides crucial services to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and across the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

10. The EU also strongly condemns the further escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, following increased settler violence, intimidation, the destruction of homes and property, the expansion of illegal settlements and terrorist attacks against Israel. The EU will continue to work on further restrictive measures against extremist settlers and against entities and organisations that support them, as well as against Hamas. 

11. Last week at the UN Generally Assembly High Level Week, the High-Level International Conference on the two-State solution, with thanks to France and Saudi Arabia, reaffirmed the unwavering commitment by world leaders to advancing a two-state solution as the only viable path toward a just and lasting peace. 

12. The Global Alliance Ministerial co-chaired by the EU, KSA and Norway ministers also convened during High-Level Week, and was an opportunity for the participating ministers to discuss a decisive new phase of collective action building on the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution. The Global Alliance, as a political and implementation platform, is one of the mechanisms to translate into action the broad international consensus enshrined in the New York Declaration, endorsed by 142 countries. The EU will play a key role in taking this forward. We must guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity. 

13. The EU is ready to contribute to all efforts towards the two state solution and calls on all parties to refrain from actions that undermine its viability. We will continue supporting the PA to help it address its most pressing needs, build institutional capacities and implement its reform agenda. The EU has put together an unprecedented financial package of EUR 1.6 billion for the years 2025-2027 in order to help the Palestinian Authority with the extremely challenging situation and support its reform efforts. We have also launched the Palestine Donor Group. Any future Palestinian State must be viable also from an economic point of view. And this can only be achieved with the collective support, including from the Palestinians' neighbours. We urge for everyone’s support.

I thank you.