Vietnam condemns attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure

The statement was made by Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, at a UN Security Council (UNSC) open debate on the Middle East situation, including the Palestinian issue with a focus on the ongoing tensions between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) from October 7 to present.

The meeting featured the attendance and speeches given by representatives of 84 member countries and observers, including 22 ministers.

In his speech at the occasion the Vietnamese Ambassador called on all sides to immediately cease fire, exercise maximum restraint, respect international humanitarian law, and apply all necessary measures to protect people's lives. This includes ensuring safety, immediately releasing all hostages, and minimizing damage to essential civilian infrastructure in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2573 issued in 2021.

The Vietnamese representative also called on the wider international community, especially all relevant parties, to create favourable conditions to end the fighting, resume dialogue and negotiations, allow humanitarian access, and deploy timely and unhindered humanitarian relief operations to people in need of assistance, while also ensuring the safety of humanitarian aid workers.

Ambassador Giang expressed his welcome and support for mediation efforts made by the UN, member countries, as well as international and regional organizations. He emphasized that in the long term it is necessary to stop activities that incite more violence and hatred between the two sides, stop the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the destruction of homes, the expulsion of Palestinians, and respect the status quo of the Holy Land areas in Jerusalem.

He proposed resuming activities of the “Middle East Quad” and called on all parties to return to negotiations to resolve the root causes, aiming to achieve a two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, including the establishment of a Palestinian State that exists peacefully alongside the state of Israel with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem being the capital of Palestine.

The Vietnamese diplomat also called on the UN and the Security Council to make greater efforts to have a unified and constructive message in order to help step up efforts to ease tensions, end fighting, protect civilians, and support all parties in resuming dialogue and negotiations.

At the meeting, many countries expressed concern about increasing tensions and the risk of violence spreading across the region, protesting against attacks on civilians that cause large casualties and the increasingly serious humanitarian situation amid the Gaza Strip being completely blockaded and going without electricity, water, medicine, and other necessities for days.

Most countries called for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor which would allow the transport of essential aid from outside into the Gaza Strip.

Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the UN, emphasized that the conflict has caused great casualties to civilians on both sides, especially in the Gaza Strip where more than 5,000 people died, including many children and women. On the Israeli side, about 1,400 people have also been killed.

The UN chief reiterated his statement condemning the terrorist attacks on October 7, explaining that the current crisis occurs in the context of the Palestinian people experiencing 56 years of occupation, with land and houses being destroyed, while the economy is stifled and hopes for a political solution is dwindling.

He called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in order to protect civilians and civil works.