confronting the enemy from underground. idea --tering gaza, the they have uncovered tunnels under homes and schools. one tunnel -- >> we bring you live coverage of the u.s. house. you can continue watching online at c-span.org. the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., july 22, 2014. i hereby appoint the honorable george holding to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 7, 2014, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour ebate.

the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip imited to five minutes each, but in no event shall debate ontinue beyond 1:50 p.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. gallego, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. today as we continue our journey through the 23rd district, i'd like to travel to a small town some 40 miles west of san antonio, that would be hondo, texas. it's about 9.6 square miles of yukonic america. as you pass the city boundary, there is a sign "this is god's

country, please don't drive through it like hell." hat sign, erected by the local lion's club in the 1930's, has been featured on postcards, it even made the cover of "national geographic magazine." i remember that sign even as a ittle kid long before i-10 was built and through 90 was the east-west highway from l.a. to florida. the original sign said "this is is god's country, don't drive through it like hell," but as you might imagine, it was a somewhat controversial sign for the 1930's, and so finally in the 1940's the word please was added to soften the tone and to placate those in town who found the sign a bit too harsh. today some 84 years after its installation that sign still serves as a not so subtle

reminder to slow down and perhaps take a breath from the everyday rush of life and enjoy the little things like family and friends and god and country. those settled in 1891, the hondo town was first explored ca.cava it displaced castroville as the county seat and hondo shares the early americans. with the construction of the galveston, harrisburg and san antonio railway that was built from the county from the east in 1891, hondo quickly transford from a small 25 resident settlement into a trade and shipping center for agriculture and ranching. hondo was the scene of two bank robberies in the early 1920's, the crooks were the famed newton gang, the most successful outlaws in american history, and interestingly, both bank heists occurred the

same night. hondo was selfless incorporated as a city in 1942 and at that time, hondo applied for a u.s. army air training facility to be built there. when our nation was in need, they stepped up. the hondo army airfield was constructed with local funding in 89 days and opened on july 4 of 1942. that airfield would become the largest air navigation school in the world and would eventually train over 15,000 navigators to serve in world war ii. that airfield still exists and know it is no longer affiliated with the u.s. military, today that airfield is a regional facility and one of the busiest small commercial airports in texas. mayor james danor and the city leadership have done a phenomenal job of having that as an area of commerce. if you're not too far from

eagleford, check out the airport in hondo. in addition, that airfield is home to one of the largest and most fun and entertaining air shows in central texas. and certainly the best air show in all of congressional district 23. each year thousands of airplane enthusiasts descend on hondo and had 20 or more world war ii airplanes. another exhibition was torah torah torah an incredibly well done re-enactment of pearl harbor which was done dug dog these vintage airplanes. it's a great event to take your kids and grandkids to. many of the residents still descendents of the original 25 settlers. it's a town not lost in the rush of everyday life and like much of the texas 23rd district, its connection and commitment to the u.s. military runs deep through its veins. i invite everyone to take a

trip to hondo and experience iconic america. remember, this is god's country. please don't drive through it like hell. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. jones, for five minutes. mr. jones: mr. speaker, thank you very much. again, on the floor to talk about the waste of american taxpayers' money in afghanistan. just last week in the house armed services committee, we heard testimony from deputy secretary of defense robert work, along with other d.o.d. officials regarding the department's request for an additional $58.6 billion to be used overseas, primarily in afghanistan. while speaking to mr. work, i mentioned the following three headlines which i believe accurately describe the american situation in afghanistan. headline from "cbs news" and i

quote, is the pentagon wasting taxpayer money in afghanistan? from the center of public integrity, and i quote, the united states military was no match for afghans' corruption. and from "the world affairs journal," and i quote, money pit. the monstrous failure of u.s. aid to afghanistan. mr. speaker, all of these reports detail a shocking misuse of american taxpayers' dollar with little to no accountability. my question to mr. work was this -- how can the pentagon in good conscious request this money given the waste, fraud and abuse that we continue to see with american resources in afghanistan? mr. speaker, this is money that we could be using right here in america to care for our many wounded veterans, rebuild our country, our schools, our roads, our infrastructure and yet every day we continue to spend billions and billions

overseas with, as i said earlier, with just little accountability. as my good friend, pat buchanan, has said and i quote, is it not a symptom of sinility to be borne from the world so we can defend the world? let me repeat that one more time. is it not a symptom of sinility to be borne from the world so we can defend the world? and mr. speaker, i would even insert the word stupidity instead of sinility and it would sound this way -- is it not a symptom of stupidity to be borne from the world so we can defend the world? mr. speaker, beside me i have a poster of a young soldier who lost both legs and an arm. this was from the front page of our raleigh paper, mr. speaker, about five years ago. why do i have it on the floor

today? four weeks ago i went to walter reed at bethesda. i saw three army soldiers from fort bragg, which is not in my district, mr. speaker, but i chatted with them, all three had lost one leg in afghanistan. my main purpose of going to walter reed was to see two marines from camp lejeune who had been severely wounded. but i thank god i had a chance to talk to the three soldiers and thank them for their gift of their legs for our country. as i went over to the young marine from camp lejeune who was 23, he's like this soldier in the poster, the young marine had lost both legs and an arm and i looked in the face of his father who probably was 50, 51 years of age and all i saw was pain and worry and trouble in the eyes of the father. because like this young soldier

who lost both legs and an arm, you can only hope the best for their future. the second marine i saw from camp lejeune has stepped on a 40-pound i.e.d., lost both legs, has a wife, i did not meet her, and an 8-month-old baby girl. i did not meet. he was very proud of his wife and his child. i wonder what his future's going to be. i can only help -- hope the best that god will help them. it brings me back to this, mr. speaker. congress needs to have debates and stop wasting money in afghanistan because it cost our soldiers and their families so much. there's the limbs and nothing we have to show for it but pain and a waste of money.

with that, mr. speaker, i will yield back the balance of my time and thank you for this time. god bless america. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia, mr. wolf, for five minutes. mr. wolf: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. wolf: mr. speaker, the international legal definition of the crime of genocide is found in article 2 of the 1948 convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide. it says, quote, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or part the national ethnical, racial group. killing members of the group, causing serious bodily harm, deliberately inflicting on the group to bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part and imposing measures intended to burs within the group, forcibly transferring children from the group to another group. i believe what's happening to the christian community in iraq is genocide.

i also believe that it is, quote, a crime against humanity. last thursday, the islamic state of iraq in sear yarks more commonly -- syria, more commonly known as isis, from "the new york times," quote, some went on foot, their car having been confiscated. others rode bicycles or motor scooters. militants seized their money and jewelry. some just a few because they were not healthy enough to flee. they were to convert to islam if they didn't want to be killed. i want to submit for the record the complete article from "the new york tiles" and an editorial today from "the wall street journal" so see what is happening. the bible contains more reference to the cities, regions and nations of ancient iraq than any other country. abraham came from the city in

iraq called err. isaac's bride came from iraq. the 12 tribes of israel were born in northwest iraq. the events ofester took place in iraq as did the accounts of daniel in the lion's den. the muslim woman was at a prayer service in baghdad whispering to christian woman sitting in the pew next to her, you are the true original people here. we are so sorry for what has been done to you in the name of islam, end of quote. on june 16, for the first time, in 1,600 years there was no mass in mosul. pope francis sunday talked about what was unfolding in mosul noting that these communities, since the beginning of christianity had, quote, coexisted alongside their fellow citizens.

making a significant contribution to the good of society. today they are persecuted, the pope said. our brothers are persecuted. they are cast out. they are forced to leave their homes without having the chance to take anything with them, end of quote. the united nations released a atement attributed to ban ki-moon said that any systematic attack on the civilian population or segments of the civilian population because of the ethnic background, religious beliefs or faith may constitute a crime against humanity for -- those responsible must be held accountable, end of quote. where is the obama administration? in june, 55 members of congress, republican and democrat, urged the obama administration to actively engage with the iraqi central government and the kurdistan regional government to prioritize additional security support for especially vulnerable populations. notably, the iraq's ancient christian community, and provide emergency assistance, humanitarian to these

communities. i want to read the last lines of our letter. quote, absent immediate action we will most certainly witness the annihilation of the ancient faith communities from the lands they inhabited for centuries. it is happening, mr. speaker. they are almost all gone, just as we predicted. the obama administration has to make protecting this ancient community a priority. it needs to encourage the kurds to do what they can, to protect those fleeing isis and provide safe ren rivepblg. needs to make sure that the resources going to the community goes to the ancient community. president bush and former secretary of state colin poul said genocide was taking -- colin powell said genocide was taking place in darfur, the united nations should initiate a proceeding in the international criminal court against isis for crimes against humanity. the time to act is now. .

the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from alabama, mr. brooks, for ive minutes. mr. brooks: mr. speaker, the june jobs report says, america reas unemployment rate dropped -- america's unemployment rate 1,115,000 .1%, while new part-time jobs were created, a staggering 827,000 full-time jobs were lost. americans labor participation rate remained at 62.8%, the worst since president carter. a recent center for immigration studies report, based on data from the census bureau and homeland security and labor departments, offers a startling and sobering insight concerning people in the 16 to 65 age bracket. so startling that i instructed my staff to double check the report's data, and it checked out as factually ackcra. first, the report determined --

accurate. first, the report determined the american economy created 5.6 million new jobs in the 16 to 65 age bracket over the past 14 years. second, quote, the total number of working-age immigrants, legal and illegal, holding a job 2000 sed 5.7 million from in 2014, while declining 127,000 for american-born citizens, end quote. over the past 14 years, although the american economy created 5.6 million net new jobs in the 16 to 65 age bracket, american-born citizens lost 127,000 jobs. all job gains and more went to immigrants. third, even though the american economy created 5.6 million net new jobs over the past 14 years, population growth and job losses caused 17 million more american citizens to not be working in

2014 than in 2000. fourth, in contrary to what amnesty proponents and immediate allies would have you believe, quote, immigrants have made gains across the labor market, including lower-skilled jobs such as maintenance, construction, and food service, middle skilled jobs, like office support and health care support, and higher skilled jobs including management, computers, and health care practitioners, end quote. immigrants swept the jobs field and had jobs gains in virtually every segment of the american economy. the argument that immigrants only do jobs americans won't do is not supported by the facts. immigrants gain jobs while americans lost jobs in each of the following high-paying industries. architecture and engineering, transportation and material moving, installation, maintenance and repair, sales, construction and excavation, office and administrative support. fifth, americans of all major races lost ground.

black americans lost, hispanic americans lost, white americans lost. the percentage of working black american-born citizens dropped 9.2 percentage points. the percentage of working hispanic americans dropped 7.7 percentage points. and the percentage of working white americans drops 6.1 percentage points. america's immigration policies over the past 14 years have been both a war on women and a war on men. the percentage of working female american-born citizens dropped 5.5 percentage points, while male american-born citizens did even worse, dropping 9.1 percentage points. mr. speaker, i have two comments on the center for immigration studies' report, first, lawful immigrants have done well. everyone would do well to learn from lawful immigrants' work and study habits.

second, president obama must start vigorously enforcing america's immigration laws. a pew hispanic center study showed illegal aliens hold eight million jobs in america. that's eight million job opportunities illegally taken from americans, thereby suppressing wages, causing unemployment, and creating income inequality among far too many struggling american families. mr. speaker, i can't speak for anyone else but me, but as for me, mo brooks, the congressman from alabama's fifth congressional district, i will fight for the economic interest of american citizens as washington works its way through the immigration debate. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, mr. boustany, for five minutes. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to urge house and senate conferees to send bipartisan

veterans legislation to the president's desk before we break for august. this legislation would authorize new community-based outpatient clinics for lake charles and lafayette and others around the country. our veterans have waited long enough. they have waited since 2008. and they have been blocked because of bureaucratic roadblocks. this is unacceptable. and now we are even closer to honoring this promise because the house and senate had passed legislation. it's time to act on behalf of our veterans who have served this country. if congress fails to act, we'll continue forcing veterans to drive hours to houston or alexandria, louisiana, for specialty care or even primary care or even worse, they'll be forced to go without care. this is just unacceptable, and will i not stand until we get this legislation done. that's not the standard of care and accessibility these men and women deserve. mr. speaker, i want to thank chairman jeff miller for his strong leadership on this issue. he's fought besides me and

others to get these clinics, and i urge conferees to work together, put veterans medical care ahead of election year politics and let's get this done. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until 2:00 p.m

third, the international community must take a look at the far-reaching human suffering and dangerous situation in gaza, the international community should work to provide humanitarian aid to these people. jordan has sent milltary to hospitals in gaza, as well as medical -- emergency medical aid to the gaza strip. we also continue to receive an

influx of palestinians. the united states' support and those of emergency relief organizations speak to the emergency need of gaza people in the area of medication and medical supplies. the international community needs to swiftly respond to the appeal of the united nations and the humanitarian agencies on the ground, in particular. mr. president, we called for a full cease-fire and truce. and as well as stopping the targeting of civilians, wherever they may be, and for the compliance of the international law. in this framework, jordan supports the egyptian initiative put forth for a cease-fire and a

calm and support the efforts taken by the secretary-general of the united nations and those of the secretary of state, mr. ohn kerry. the dangerous israeli escalation diverts international community's efforts regarding the israeli efforts, ongoing ones, ones which are condemned by all. in addition to the aggression which target east jerusalem and holy muslim and christian sites, in particular. in jordan, where daily fighting against this type of aggression and unilateral measures. these violations and we do so as a truly safeguarding authority is st jerusalem which

turned by the king. srael must put an end to its discriminatory measures, not only against the palestinians in the occupied territory, but also against its arab citizens. i'd like to tell you about the bill, the draft law, regarding citizenship. his is an unprecedented law. it leads to discrimination. israel calls itself the only democracy in the middle east, this has been repeated by the distinguished representative of srael just some minutes ago. jordan, under direction of its in close orking

cooperation in the region to achieve a cease-fire. we reiterate that the only solution is one which would ensure there is no repeat of the israeli pact of aggression, the political solution for resumption of comprehensive serious negotiations on the basis of the two-state solution, establishing an independent palestinian state on the palestinian national shore with east jerusalem as its capital and on the basis of international relevant resolution and the arab peace initiative to achieve security and stability for all states and peoples of the region. thank you, sir. >> thank you for your comments. the e now the floor to united states. >> thank you, mr. president. i would like to thank secretary-general bond for his

briefing and for his efforts to secure peace and protect civilians in the middle east. my remarks today will address two areas, israel and gaza, and syria. first, in gaza, the united states is working intensively to secure an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to the november, 2012 cease-fire agreement between israel and hamas. this is the message president obama gave in his public remarks yesterday. it is the purpose of secretary of state kerry's trip to cairo, where he met with egyptian leaders and secretary-general and is conferring regularly with other allies and partners. and it is a goal that the president of the security council embraced on behalf of all of the council's members hen we met this past sunday. we also recognize as we work towards a coal of a cease-fire, we have to work on the underlying issues that let to this conflict and ultimately build a peace through a two-state solution.

the throughout the hostilities, we have consistently recognized israel's right to defend itself whether rockets overhead or tunnels below. no country in the world would tolerate a barrage of attacks on its citizens. yesterday in sage day, militants fired 155 rockets into israel. in the two weeks of fighting, more than 2,000 rockets have been launched on israel. on sunday, israel foiled another attempt by armed militants to use tunnels to sneak into the country and launch an attack. again yesterday, militants from gaza entered israel and killed four israeli soldiers. in gaza, the toll of the violence has been devastating. more than 600 palestinians have been killed. the large majority civilians, including at least 59 women and more than 121 children. more than 3,700 more have been injured. thousands of homes have been damaged. many totally destroyed. and more than 100,000 people have been displaced. as the destruction mounts, some

35,000 palestinians who need food have not yet been reached. 1.2 million people have little or no access to water or sanitation. and behind every number is a real person, perhaps even a child. the suffering is immense. yet even the most determined efforts to reach those in need have fallen short. the u.n. is near its capacity to take in those without shelter, relief services are overwhelmed, in short, the situation is unsustainable. that is why a cease-fire as soon as possible is essential as both secretary kerry and secretary-general bond have emphasized from cairo. when we convened on sunday, the council president expressed our shared concern about the growing number of casualties and underscored the need to protect civilians. yet the violence continues to rise as does the number of people who suffer from it. yesterday, secretary kerry announced the united states is providing $47 million to help address the immediate humanitarian emergency in gaza. these funds will provide critical humanitarian aid,

including shelter, food, and medical supplies for palestinians in gazza. we encourage all our partners in the international community to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people in gaza and the people a-r issued -- appeal issued by the united nations. they must comply with international humanitarianian law. that means respecting medical facilities and others. by most recent tally 77 structures have been damaged so far in the fighting. militants in gaza have repeatedly used civilian facilities for military purposes. yesterday a hospital in gaza was struck by a tank shell, killing at least four people inside. the humanitarian cease-fire is brokered by the united nations and the icrc on july 18 and 20 have potential to provide a reprieve from the violence and enable those in need of food, water, and medicine to receive assistance. given a chance to help alleviate the suffering of palestinian civilians, hamas balked.

during both cease-fires, rockets were launched and hamas has refused to agree toon egyptian seats fire which could halt the fighting and ease the suffering of the people. the united states supports egyp's initiative. as grave as -- egypt's initiative. as grave as the situation is now, it can get worse. if the fighting persists, it will. humanitarian conditions will continue to deteriorate. more civilians will suffer. and more innocent lives will be lost. the only solution is an immediate cease-fire. this could not be more urgent or more important given the devastating consequences of the violence for civilian populations. that is why the united nations will -- united states will not rest until a cease-fire is achieved and the underlying issues fueling the conflict are addressed. on syria, last week we adopted a resolution in an effort to address the humanitarian devastation and suffering of the syrian people. u.n. humanitarian agencies will

be delivering humanitarian assistance through four additional border crossings and across conflict lines without the approval of the syrian regime. united nations agencies have to be able to reach people in desperate need of assistance in all parts of the country, including those controlled by the opposition. as the assad regime denies such basic assistance to further its military and political goals. we hope we will make a difference in the lives of several million syrians who have been without food, medicine, and other forms of assist an for more than a year. as this council is well aware, the resolution was necessary because of the regime's cynical use of starve or surrender tactics and other deliberate strategies to deprive and punish people, particularly those living in contested and opposition controlled areas. the denial of basic humanitarian aid continues to be one of the deadly weapons in the assad regime's deadly arsenal. chemical and conventional weapons, including airpower, tanks, mines, and snipers.

we have seen the devastation inflicted when the regime unleashes this arsenal on innocent civilians. in recent weeks we have once again watched in horror as the assad regime exercises a strangle hoed on the pealed of alpeppo. roughly half a million syrians remain in the city which has been encircled and affixiated by assad's forces which have obstructed flow of basic humanitarian assistance such as food, water, and medicine. in addition, the regime has dropped roughly 15 to 20 barrel bombs a day on the city and a similar number on the suburbs surrounding it. as disturbing as the absolute number of bombs dropped is when and where they have been dropped. people in the ahelpa provencal council report the regime has increasingly concentrated its bombings at the time of day when muslims are breaking their daily fast or iftar, and they have chosen to target the places where people are mostlikely to congregate. this is obscene.

so the assad regime has taken islam's holiest months and calculated its bombing runs. its taken advantages of people's rituals of faith to maximize suffering. even by by the horrific bar this regime has set, the ma level lens of this pattern is shocking. and alpeppo is not the only place assad is using this tactic. umra was only recently allowed to distribute food. anyone who has seen photos of the refugees knows that this population' survival hangs by a thread. we are monitoring the situation there in alpeppo and other sites closely, and we call on the regime to fully implement resolution 2139 and comply with its obligations under resolutions 2139 and 2165, as well as its basic obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law. this is a snapshot of two places

in the home of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. yet as the cases of alpeppo and others demonstrate, these problems stem from a political crisis. and a barbaric tactics of a regime that's lost the legitimacy to lead. fixing that crisis will ultimately demand a political solution that siras can embrace. to this end, we welcome newly appointed special enjoy for syria, and deputy envoy, they have agreed to take on the daunting task of providing good offices to bringing an end to the violence and human rights violations that plague syria and promoting a peaceful solution to this long-standing crisis. they have our full support. thank you. >> i thank the presenter of the united states for her statement. i give now the floor to the representative of the republic of korea. >> thank you, mr. president. the republic of korea thanks and supports the secretary-general for his efforts to mediate the

ongoing confrontation. we appreciate his video link briefing today. on the trips chris croicing the middle east region. we also have come to participation of the luxembourg. mr. president, as we gather in this council today, the media continues to be marked by expanding conflict and intense violence. we are concerned that the ongoing crisis in israel and gaza have the potential to further jeopardize the regional dynamics with other nonstate actors joining the fray. in this context we know it was concerned that the rockets have been fired into israel from lebanon and syria as well. now more than 500 palestinians and 20 israelis have died. yet there is no sign of a cease-fire to be agreed upon. hamas has not so far accepted any cease-fire proposals and consequently aggravating the

pain and sorrow of the hundreds of thousands of palestinian people under its influence. we also learned that the ground operation of israeli forces is resulting in an unprecedented level of casualties and displacement throughout the gaza strip. such results do not match israel's stated goal of a limited operation. while acknowledging israeler israel's security concerns, we emphasize that the current situation illustrates the urgent need for a more fundamental solution of the situation related to gaza. we are particularly concerned about the devastating humanitarian conditions in the gazz why strip. unfortunately, israel's warnings before the attacks do not seem to provide much help for the population because most of them have nowhere else to go. with more than 84,000 people

seeking shelter, facilities are already beyond capacity. many homes in the safe areas are already full. the current situation is not sustainable and an immediate cease-fire should come to force. we urge all parties to exercise restraint and heed the international community's call for peace. we sincerely hope that diplomatic efforts of the secretary-general soon bear fruit. we support the role in the region, including egypt, in brokering a cease-fire deal. turning to the situation in syria, mr. president, we are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale of death and destruction as the conflict now in its fourth year shows no signs of abating. with nearly 11 million citizens in need of assistance, council resolution 2165 must be

immediately and fully implemented, enabling long overdue cross border delivery -- aid deliveries to those in desperate need of food and medicine. the republic of korea welcomes the appointment of special envoy s -- envoys. we hope that the special envoy will soon start working closely with the key stakeholders, and cooperate with the league of arab states. we look forward to his sustained efforts to revive the stalled peace negotiations which is the only way to solve the crisis. the republic of korea is deeply alarmed by the increase in terrorism and regional instability stemming from the ituation in syria. border areas of territory in both syria and iraq and poses a threat to lebanon, turkey, and jordan as well.

we strongly condemn the war crimes, including mass executions committed by isir. we also note the destructive humanitarian dimensions inherent this in -- in these developments. the security council must stay vigilant on the issue. we call on the leaders to swiftly form a new government that can rule in an inclusive manner and promote the participation of all religious and ethnic minorities. mr. president, despite the seemingly insurmountable regional situation in front of us, we must not lose hope nor re main deadlocked in our collective international actions. the scork must continue to actively work to ensure peace and security for those in the region and for the whole world. thank you. >> i thank the representative of the republic of korea.

i now give the floor to the representative of france. >> thank you, sir. i'd like to thank the secretary-general and mr.on and the statements made by the representative of the yupe. i will be referencing the israel-palestinian peace process. the situation in syria, and inally lebanon and iraq. mr. president, the cease-fire can no longer wait and should allow for relaunching of efforts in order to find an effective solution. the toll is staggering on the palestinian side more than 580 dead. and innocent children dying. ep tire families wiped out. and more than 3,500 in

overwhelmed hospitals. mr. president, this is the third offensive carried out by israel. as in the past in the current situation, no one can win. hamas cannot win because by choosing to continue the escalation, it has already obtained one thing, unleashing israeli fire on gaza. it did so knowingly, deliberately because hamas knew what israel's response would be to the hundreds of rockets launched on its territory. israel, because the ground offensivive launched will only weaken but not dismantle hamas' capacity. nor discredit t it might even come out strengthened from this test of strength. in the eyes after population that know that israel, missiles, soldiers. finally, it's especially and once again civilian population of gaza which is the main center

with increasingly loss of human life every day, and curious ess, which is aggravated, as indicated by the french president, everything must be done to put an immediate end to the suffering of civilian populations in gaza. the secretary-general said our immediate priority is to conclusion a cease-fire based on the egyptian proposal endorsed by the arab league. diplomatic intensive efforts are under way in a number of regional capitals led by a number of high-level officials. it's important to converge all these regional efforts into one effort. mr. secretary-general, and minister of foreign affairs of france this weekend and secretary of state kerry are all in the region now and we hope that their efforts will become a success soon. that would mean first the immediate stoppage of rocket fire of hamas on israel whose

security is a right. second, immediate stopping of he israeli firing. israel is targeting hamas, an organization that france and its european partners has recognized as terrorists, but the facts are far from that situation. there are more than 580 dead. 75% of which are civilians, which according to the united nations, many are children. this is excessive use of force and contrary to the legal imperative of protecting. a cease-fire will not be enough, however. a lasting truce needs to be -- which addresses the causes of conflict and allows for the peace process. it means that if no, sir to fight trafficking of weapons more effectively in order to protect israel's security and gaza needs to be able to resume its life because poverty and

despair and employment flood the ranks of hamas rather than weakening. it's why it's important to work with lift gaza and implement the agreement on movement and access in 2005 endorsed by resolution 1860 in 2009. the european union might contribute through the activation of the uba mission. of course it's important to fully involve the palestinian authority in the way out of the crisis and it's with mr. abbas we have to coordinate efforts to reconstruct gaza. finally, we have to work towards a political settlement, which is what we ay to stop have seen three times since 2008. i would now like to move away from the blood shed in this area to go back to the basics of the

conflict. for more than 20 years with a great deal of patience, imagination, we have tried to put an end to this conflict by convincing the two parties to negotiate directly without international intervention. god only knows the number of combinations and formulations that have been tried and composed in vain. time has now come to conclude that the laudable efforts have failed because the method is erroneous. israelis and palestinians reach peace themselves. there are too many causes and too obvious to list them here. it is not, and i would underscore this, about resorting to pressure, bringing pressure to bear. that will not work. on the contrary, a positive agenda is needed. for the international community to propose together to the two parties in order to work towards peace.

one is afraid for its safety. and the other is afraid for its national assistance. american and european and arabs can address these concerns, intergration, association, to regional association, financial aid, garne teaff security, full open diplomatic relations. these are all paths that can be used. must begins vince the man in the street in gaza and tel aviv that it is not leaping into the unknown. it is entering a new world. rather than restarting the same old car over and over again as we have done for the last 20 years, we have to change the car. we must first break through the wall of distrust, fear, and hatred which is opposing any of the progress and allow free rain so extremists on both sides can be stopped.

it's perhaps too late, i fear that. but the international community as a whole shoulders the responsibility of a long tragedy which will be the destiny of holy land. mr. president, syria tries to continue in a country that's disappearing a little bit every day under the bombings. all reports of resolution 2139 are without appeal. the civilian population situation has not improved. the besieged city, 3/4 of which due to the regime's efforts have not stopped. indiscriminate bombing. through direct violation of resolution 1329. torture, terrorizing civilians, and impeding humanitarian access all continue. adoption of resolution 2165 should allow for improving provision of humanitarian aid

which should be channeled through the most direct route, be it through the frontlines or through the borders of neighboring countries. only a political solution will make it possible to put an end to this conflict. france applauds the appointment to replace mr. brahimi. the envoy changes, but the political objectives remains the same collectively. a true political transition which can responsible to the legitimate aspirations the syrians face. france -- the thousands of crimes committed in syria will not go unpunished. this council has not reached an agreement on referring the cases to the i.c.c., however, those who are responsible for the crimes in syria, whoever they are, regardless of the side they are on, must know that they will be tried. in this context, we must also address a message of support to

lebanon. lebanon should not be dragged into the spiral of the syrian crisis. the policy of association and declaration of 2012 provide a framework in which all lebanese forces should be judged. expectations and peace in lebanon and impacting that is unacceptable. lebanon needs the support from its international partners and hope the more than 1 million refugees which is a heavy burden. we call upon them to respect their internal deadline and fight impunity. and the special tribunal should resume its activity in the near future. i'd like to conclude my remarks by talking about iraq. yesterday we spoke about iraq as france's initiative through a press statement. france is concerned about the

advances of the isil which is a threat for iraq and the stability of the whole region. the progress might swing further the attractiveness of the syrian-iraqi theeter for jihad candidates who are a threat to the international community. france most firmly condemns the crimes committed by the isil gens ethnic and religious minorities and all those who do not adhere to their barbaric ideology. and thus specifically the ultimatum thrown at the christians in mosul, the oldest in the world, with whom france has had secular ties. this is, once again, an illustration of the true nature of this terrorist organization. france supports the iraqi state in its fight against terrorism, but leaves that a lasting responsible to -- response to this crisis must be first and foremost political.

today it is urgent to recreate conditions in iraq for a political dialogue. bringing all communities together as a whole in order to face the challenge as a contritcht the alternative is clear, either no change will take place in the governance of the country and we run the risk of seeing distortion of iraq, or government of national union is created very quickly around a project that will bring all communities together for political solution in order to win the day. e election is a positive development but must -- much must be done. the constitution continue as led as possible by a rallying government in order to see a first for iraq. thank you, mr. president. ecurity council. >> mr. president, i thank

secretary-general for his briefing. china appreciates and supports his good offices. i'm also working carefully for the statement of the representative of palestinian. the operation in gaza has lasted for several months. the security council and the international community, the ministry has continued to expand in scope. resulting in serious deterioration of the situation in gaza. china is deeply concerned and saddened by this. it is not a place to use force against civilians, especially opposed to targeting residential areas and hospitals. it it is unacceptable.

china calls on the parties concerned to stop firing rockets into israel. the cycle of violence for violence between israel and palestine must stop. china and other parties to in good faith to appeal to the international community and cooperate with international good offices. achieve an unconditional cease-fire immediately, and refrain from taking any action hat might escalate tensions. it can be achieved as soon as possible. the international community to step up its humanitarian assistance, i call for the opening of crossings in gaza. and the permission of all facilities for relief in order to ease the humanitarian crisis in gaza.

it has begun to spill over with syria's security between borders of leebon and syria. the security council and international community should take action to change such a situation. china f. the key struckive role played by egypt and other countries, in pushing for a cease-fire. china's special envoy for middle to is bringing instance bear with the view of bringing about a cease-fire, cessation of violence. china is following up on the new delivery of humanitarian relief to palestine. china hopes that the relevant players of the international community will enhance coordination and cinergyize the fforts for a cease-fire.

china has always believed that assistance of the two countries, israel and palestine, achieved through peace talks is the only and correct way to resolve the palestinian issue. it is also in interest of both sides. we hope that israel and palestine will end the conflict soon. these problems in the bilateral relations in order to avoid a reputation of tragedy. we urge israel to stop its settlement activity, release the detained palestinians for the restart of the peace talks. we are ready to join the international community to work for a comprehensive, fair, and lasting solution of the middle east problems. mr. president, china is following closely the situation in syria. we feel deeply for the

sufferings of its people. we welcome resolution 2165, adopted not long ago, by council . china has always believed that a solution is the overwhelm way out of the syrian problem. the international community should stay the course of political settlement on the question of syria. and continue to engage in coordination, cooperation, and sustain its efforts. china calls on all parties in syria to effectively implement the geneva communique, political transition, find a middle road that takes into account the interest of all sides, and based on the country's conditions. so to achieve a political solution of the syrian problem. china welcomes the appointment by the secretary-general of the the pecial envoy and

ambassador as the deputy special envoy, secretary-general for syria, and we will continue to have caption with the international community to work towards a proper solution of the syrian problem. thank you, mr. president. >> representative of china, hank you for your statement. representative of the united kingdom. >> mr. president, the situation of course in the middle east gives us all cause for grave concern. violence and humanitarian crises have escalated and engulfed millions of innocent people in the region. it is deeply tragic that so many have been skilled and injured in the current crisis in gaza. we urge both sides to do their utmost to de-escalate the situation and avoid further injury and loss of innocent life. the people of israel have the right to live without constant fear for their security, but the people of gaza also have the

right to live safely in peace. we condemn the rocket attacks on israel targeting civilians in contravention of all humanitarian law and norms. we deplore hamas' rejection of cease-fire efforts to date. all those with influence over hamas must use it to get hamas to agree to end rocket fire and join an immediate cease-fire. .

hundreds of thousands are suffering shortages of water, sanitation and electricity. the united kingdom will provide $3 million in new funding to help supply immediate emergency

assistance for over 84,000 people who are seeking shelter in their schools. we are also bringing forward over $4 million in funding to the international committee of the red cross to provide emergency health care and to repair crucial water wells and pipelines damaged by the air strikes. mr. president, this situation is grimly familiar. it is the third major military operation in gaza in six years. the priority must be to achieve a cease-fire that ends this cycle of violence. a cease-fire agreement must address the underlying causes of the crisis. it needs to secure full implementation of both security council resolution 1860 and the november, 2012 cease-fire agreement. there will need to be concerted action to get a grip on the security situation and open up gaza's economy. the palestinian authority must return to gaza.

none of this will be easy, but without it we are bound to see yet another repeat of this crisis. mr. president, we cannot forget the appalling violence that continues elsewhere in the middle east. the syrian regime's relentless brutality has created an environment where violent extremism is taking hold. what's happening in syria is not and it has never been about terrorism. it is about the legitimate demands of the syrian people and their desire of the basic rights of freedom and dignity. but assad's regime responds to demands with brutality. now syria is the number one destination for jihadists anywhere in the world. and the violence is is spreading beyond syria's borders. let us be clear, assad is not the answer to the terrorist threat. he's the cause of it. the advances such violent

extremists in the region underscores the need to support moderate groups in syria. these moderate groups are the only forces fighting extremists and assad's tyranny. mr. president, this council has taken a major step forward to help alleviate some of the horrors facing ordinary citizens. with the adoption of resolution 2165, many syrians will soon receive the food and medical splice they desperately need -- supplies they desperately need. it is vitally important so aid can begin to flow through these additional crossings. we welcome assurances from the syrian national coalition and the free syrian army that they will implement resolution 2165 in order to help aid reach those in urgent need of assistance. mr. president, we know that a lasting solution to the syria crisis comes from a political solution. we welcome newly appointed u.n.

special representative and urge all parties to come to a syrian-led political resolution. we command the recent election of abada. along with our partners, we'll continue to provide practical, technical and political support to the national coalition. syria will only know a stable peace when those responsible for atrocities are held to account. in that context, we welcome the recent resolution of the human rights council and we will continue to work to ensure that victims receive justice, including at the international criminal court. finally, mr. president, we utterly condemn the reported atrocities by isil who have advanced through western and northern iraq, displacing an estimated 650,000 people. we note with grave concern the events in mosul this past weekend.

the threats by isil against the christian community in particular which has been in mosul for nearly 2,000 years are horrific. as the secretary general has said, systematic attacks against civilians because of their faith or religious beliefs any constitute a crime against humanity. isil poses a grave threat to the local population, to the security, stability and integrity of the state and to the wider region. the single most important factor that will determine whether iraq overcomes this challenge is political unity. it is therefore vital that a new inclusive government is formed as soon as possible. i commend the work of the special representative to iraq and urge iraq's politicians to ensure that a president and prime minister are appointed as soon as possible. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative

of the united kingdom. russian federation. >> thank you, mr. president. our meeting today underscores that against the backdrop of the region it is not -- palestinian conflict to the backseat and in a broader certificates urge the settlement. the stability, well-being and flourishing of the people of the region. the international community is shocked by the scale of the human tragedy in the gaza strip. the numbers of killed and hundreds of wounded. the majority are palestinian civilians killed as a result of disproportionate use of force by israel and civilians are targeted too. these are ined a missible and cannot be justified. there needs to be a swift

cessation of the palestinians and israelis and the disruption of infrastructure. the scale of losses and disaster requires urgent -- we welcome the mission undertaken by the undersecretary general. the support the efforts of egypt which achieves a cease-fire will be a great effort to minimize the humanitarian impacts of the current dangerous spike in confrontation. we will continue to actively work through all channels with parties to the conflict as well as representatives of the international quartet. so in a swift time frame to stop any violence, create a foundation for a subsequent truce or cease-fire and facilitate necessary conditions for a comprehensive palestinian-israel negotiation to process.

in the region right now there are consultations ongoing with the special representative, the minister of foreign affairs and engage in contacts with palestinian and israel. two days ago the president of the security council called for a swift halting of military clashes on the bases of a return to a november-2012 agreement. it is our conviction that a swift and viable cease-fire would ensure the security of israel and all its citizens, the security of the people of the gaza strip, sending -- improving humanitarian situation there and possibly lifting the blockade on palestinian territory. it is seen that the appeal of the president of palestinian, mahmoud abbas, and the secretary general requires attention. that is palestinian -- we need to consider the proposals that

the league of arab has, the role that they should play. frankly, we were surprised that we didn't even hear reference to these proposals in today's statement by the representative of jordan. there is real estate a need to move forward on resolving the issue of lasting palestinian-israel. it should be based on two-state solution, existing side by side. the security council resolution with -- the peace process from the middle east quartet includes the league of arab states. the task of intrapalestinian reconciliation having a functioning government of national unity which would be in the interest of israel's security concerns. we welcome the appointment of the special envoy to the

secretary of syria and hope will make a significant contribution to the political process. unfortunately, the situation on the ground continues to be of most concerns. the concern about the terrorist activity gaining ground in syria and in the region as a whole. we condemn the t.s.a. take last week of the islamic state of a large site in the governor's home, a massive attack on soldiers and rebels guarding the facility as well as on staff. according to various sources about 300 people were killed. this incident once again underscores the imperative to adopt draft statement prst, that is on the inadmirable of oil trade of terrorist organizations in syria and iraq. we are resulted -- we call to those who sponsor, train -- or

train terrorist fighters first and foremost, in that region to rein in their subordnants and make it absolutely clear to them that threats to u.n. peacekeepers are a threat to the international community. recent events underscores the trend of turning into an ep center of terrorist -- epicenter of terrorist activity. they capitalize on the processees that are rooted in social problems. people not having a choice of ifestyle other than crime. and interfaith conflicts. the terrorist fabric is being knitted together at break-neck speed. areas of conflict, supporting terrorism beyond state borders staffed by extremist organizations and foreign fighters. and the so-called management of

terrorist flows has demonstrated salvationists when groups like the islamic state are barred in one country but it is felt it is possible to live with their activities in other countries such as syria and even to fuel them. enterprise approach on this issue is unacceptable. thank you. >> i thank the representative of the russian federation for his statement. i give the floor to the representative of nigeria. >> i thank you, mr. president. i believe the secretary general the debt of gratitude not only for his efforts in the middle east but especially for his briefing this morning. honorable hank the -moon for his second

consecutive day. my comments will focus on the question of palestine, yemen, lebanon and syria. the death toll in the war between hamas and israel is mounting at an alarming rate. the palestinian side has reached crisis levels. thousands have been displaced, health facilities have been stretched beyond their capacities and medicines are in short supply. this problem has been water ed by not having and electricity as well as the destruction of residential buildings. the result is that residents of gaza are facing untold hardship. as with every sovereign state, israel has an inherent right to defend itself and to keep its

citizens safe. however, we view the military response in gaza as needlessly excessive and in violation of international humanitarian law. there can be no justification whatsoever for the unrelenting killing of civilians, including women, children and senior citizens. we call upon the immediate withdrawal of israeli forces in gaza. mr. president, the immediate relationship of this conflict -- the rocket attacks by hamas, a violation of international humanitarian law. firing rockets against nonmilitary targets serves nothing but to terrorize civilians. this is unacceptable and we urge hamas to put an immediate

halt to these attacks. the cycle of violence can only lead to a hardening of positions which will not serve the long-term interests of either party. we call for an urgent dehe-escalation of the conflict and cessation of hostilities. leaders on both sides must demonstrate maximum restraint but in their actions. there must be diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. we therefore urge leaders around the world to bring their influence to bear on the situation with the hope that this effort will facilitate a return to the november-2012, cease-fire. -- november, 2012, cease-fire. the diplomacy and engagement with leaders in the region provides for an array of hope. we express our full support for his relentless efforts. we also welcome the proposal for a cease-fire and note that

israel has -- we urge hamas to also accept it. in the current circumstances, a cease-fire represents the best opportunity for the cessation of hostilities and return to dialogue. indeed, the secretary general constitutes the guidance for the parties. it's said in summary, stop the fighting, start a dialogue and address the root causes. mr. president, the situation in yemen is part of the middle east calculus. al qaeda and other terrorist groups continue to pose a challenge to the efforts of the government to restore stability. in it addition to the attacks by terrorists on civilians and security forces, the country is

embroiled in a conflict with separatists in the south and militias in the north. we strongly condemn the activities of the groups which ave caused death and displaced families. 13,000 families have already fled from the fighting. the situation underscores the need for the yemeni authorities to exat the died action in the implementation of the recommendations of the national dialogue conference which have clearly addressed the root of the conflict. we see a silver lining in the cloud, and that is the olitical transition process. which has remained on course despite the challenges. the measures being undertaken by the government are commendable. we take note to implement those recommended by the national

ialogue conference, the points approved by them on issues. we welcome the government's designation of the implementation of the n.d.c. this is the reassurance signal that the government is committed to building a united peaceful and prosperous yemen. we take positive note of the two-day regional conference on transitional justice held in june jointly by the minister of legal affairs of yemen, undp and the office of the higher commission of human rights. the conference was designed to discuss transitional justice law and its implementation. according to various reports, the topics addressed were the outcomes of the national dialogue conference and the relationship with laws,

transitional justice, democratic transition and the role of international actors and civil society. mr. president, transitional justice is a very important aspect of yemen's political process. we commend the government for its involvement in organizationing the conference and the u.n. -- organizing the conference and the u.n. agencies for holding the event. the support supported by japan, netherlands, sweden, the e.u. to the transitional project in yemen. turning to the situation in lebanon, we note that the political situation remains very delicate. we're deeply concerned by the current presidential crisis which is not resolved threaten the stability of the country. as the attention of the world is focused on dramatic developments until the middle east, including the war in

syria, the isis insurgencey in iraq and the confrontation palestine, el and this conflict could be ignored. the president of lebanon has traditionally been considered as one that should unify the country, building bridges between the various communities. this is why it is very important for political actors to agree on who takes the mantle of the presidency. so far elections of parliament have been held without a president being elected. this is clear to the political vacuum since the 25th of may when the president ended his term as president. we understand the parliament schedule for the 23rd of july. it is our hope that a consensus will have been reached before that date on who will become

president. we urge the leaders of lebanon to work together in the interests of their country and elect a successor without delay. mr. president, nigeria remains deeply concerned about the conflict in syria which has caused the death of thousands and displaced many more. this indeed is a true reflection of the determination of the council to address the humanitarian crisis in syria. the resolution requires both sides in the conflict to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance by u.n. humanitarian agencies. we expect that humanitarian agencies, including the u.n., would respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of syria. we do hope that relevant parties in syria will work

closely with u.n. humanitarian institutions and take effective and concrete measures to implement resolution 2139 and 2165. we have been very unequivocal in our position that a military solution in syria is unattainable. comprehensive negotiations remain the most viable means to a successful resolution of the syrian crisis. the international community must continue to work towards a political settlement through dialogue and the militarization conflict in syria. in this current circumstance, the june 30, 2012, geneva community found a best way forward. we urge all parties to work towards its implementation. e welcome the appointment of the new special enview of syria and to utilize his offices and

his wealth of experience towards the attainment of a solution to the crisis. mr. president, the middle east today must retreat from a very dangerous press pus on which it has -- precipice on which it has been standing for too long. the time is now, and we are all summoned to a united, collective action for peace. i thank you. >> i thank the representative of nigeria for her statement. i give the floor to the representative of argentina. >> thank you. mr. president, and i'd like to thank the secretary general for his statement and for his efforts. i'd like to further extend my greetings to the permanent representative of israel and to the permanent observer of palestine and thank you, both,

for your statements. i have to say brief words on syria and then i will focus my palestinian issue. argentina very much regrets that we have had to have another resolution on the humanitarian crisis. this was the result of a noncompliance, noncompliance resolution 2139 of this year and of the increase in suffering of the syrian people. however, we thank you, both especially, that the council assumed its responsibilities with regard to the situation that has undermined its credibility and which has cast doubt on its authority. we hope and demand that this opportunity -- this opportunity of the council's voits will be heard and we'd like to take

this opportunity to highlight the fact that despite its deep seeded -- the security council has been able to speak with a single voice with regard to grappling with the effects of the crisis, demanding access for assistance, reacting swiftly each time there were cidents in the situation and fully supporting the government and the people of lebanon and those countries that are receiving refugees. the security council has also been able to be the head of the very complex process of elimination of the chemical weapons program in syria which is now in its final stages. now, while we recognize that it is not easy, we hope that these understanding foundations for a common vision so that the council can contribute not only to addressing the consequences

of the crisis but might also understand its causes and offer solutions. therefore, effectively and concretely assisting the new special envoy secretary general o whom we offer our support. it will not only make it possible to contribute to constructing a better future for syria but it will also be key for peace and security in the entire region. mr. president, this open debate is taking place at a time of great upheaval, torn by violence, exacerbation of sectarian tension, the indiscriminant abuse of militarism and the growth of various forms of extremism. in this context of uncertainty, the third time in less than six

years once again gaza is submerged in violence. once again, civilians are paying the price for the disproportionate use of military force by israel. once again, the unacceptable ctions of hamas, once again, despair and death -- sooner or later, there will be one against calm. and again, once again, there is the certainty that violence will return unless the causes making the violence possible are eliminated and the eternal cycle of a pattern of abuse is broken. pattern of abuse and intolerance, one that is is repeated all too often. despite calls by the council

and other voices in the international community, rather than moderation, all that we see has been intensification in the fighting and open challenge -- he obligations opposed the protection of civilians. as it cannot be any other way, the immediate result of the ground offense of israel in gaza and the bombing that went along with it was the increase in the number of fatal victims, overwhelmingly civilian in the majority, including an intolerable number of children. what happened last sunday could not be qualified as anything other than a massacre. massacre in the long palestinian history which we must firmly condemn. and all denounceiations of

abuses, violations of international law should be investigated and those responsible should be held accountable. and justice for all must be served. the attack has also increased the number of people who are displaced and repercussions throughout the region and deepened the humanitarian crisis which is exceeding the response capacity of the international community. more than a million people are affected by a lack of access to water and sanitation services while 80% of the people in gaza only have electricity for four hours a day. schools have stopped being centers for learning in order become improvised refugee camps. it is therefore clear that our responsibility is to demand an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect

humanitarian and international law, human rights and the protection of civilians. that means that israel must put an end to its military operations and the isproportionate use of force in gaza. it means that both hamas and the islamic jihad must put an end to the indiscriminant launches of rockets against israel. therefore, we would reiterate our support for the peace initiative currently under way. history and geography has assigned egypt with a key role in these efforts. it is obvious that other regional and international actors have influence on the parties and that they should be prepared to use that influence in order to find a way out. in that regard, we commend the decision of the secretary

general to travel to the region and we hope that his efforts will yield favorable results and make it possible to move towards what both the general assembly and this council has presented as not only a possible way out but also a desirable and necessary way out in order to put this chronic conflict behind us once and for all. mr. president, our priority objective here is clear and it is to restore call and yet we cannot allow ourselves to consent to return to things that they were before the crisis. because it's neither viable nor sustainable for gaza to be a political shut-in with 40% of its people without work and income, subject to food insecurity, sanitation and

energy crisis and a lack of conditions in order to promote economic development with full social inclusion and human rights. receding, he -- is given the frustrating path had a has been over and over, the question is not if there will be another outbreak of violence but when there will be another outbreak in violence. to the contrary, this renewed crisis should be a strong call to our attention to address comprehensively the deep-seeded causes that led to the outbreak of conflict. the path to this were already laid out by the security council resolution 1860 in the year 2009. the time has come to support implementation of that resolution, all its dimensions. that is to allow unfettered access for humanitarian assistance, guaranteeing a

sustained flow and regular flow of persons to the borders and preventing the illicit trafficking of munitions and arms. yet, from recent experience and in order to guarantee effective compliance it will also be key to establish an international mechanism to monitor these and other measures that should be agreed upon as part of the initiatives under way. and no less important will be achieving a single palestinian authority so that it can govern effectively also in gaza, because while our objectives continues to be a two-state solution, reunification of the palestinian solution in that context is not a problem. rather, it's part of the solution. it would be unfortunate, therefore, that one of the fatal victims of this tragedy that we're currently experiencing also be the

incipient process of reconciliation of the palestinians for which we have labored so much and insisted upon. mr. president, as we clamor for an active role of countries, leaders and organizations to resolve this crisis, we also expect the same from the security council. we have said it every single time we have met in order to address the situation and we reiterate it again today. we believe that the security council, assuming the responsibility assigned to it y the charter can and should accompany efforts undertaking to achieve a cease-fire, to guarantee its compliance and finally to help create the conditions so that both sides can renew dialogue to bringing about a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders which is the only guarantee for

lasting peace and security. in this regard, we should ask ourselves the question -- what is the point of the security council? what is the point of the security council? maintaining international peace and security becomes a mere matter of a few ad hoc mechanisms. we are far from opposing bilateral diplomacy or the diplomacy of groups of states or organizations. but it should not be at the expense of leading the security council as an institution devoid of meaning and incapable of having an impact on the resolution of conflict. it's about finding complementary strategies, strategies which are effective based on strategic solidarity. in a real form of

multilateralism which its face and projection is founded in our organization in the united nations. it cannot be conceived of as an obstacle to achieving a more fair world. t's not multilateralism versus bilateral relations nor is it multilateralism versus organizations. each of these dimensions and strategic strategies must be coordinated with a common goal but at the same time it should lso recognize that it is the multilal rat form that all states and people, all of them so we can all be heard and recognized as equal in dignity and equal in approximate rights. . president, in this context while the press statement issued on the 12th of july by this july had no impact, we loudly ed to speak more

and demand with other tools on this council, we demand there be a cease-fire, that international law be respected and than end be put to the violation of the humanitarian light and human rights and protection of civilians. argentina is prepared to comply with this goal, and in that regard here and today in the context of the powers -- tools available to us, argentina respectfully would address the members of the security council , to propose to all the members that this council use the tools available to it. this council has the noble task of maintaining international peace and security, should consider the possibility of conducting a mission to the countries of the region in order to accompany and provide

for a renewed impulse to efforts to bring about a -- we re, including to should add our support to all the support of those who are working towards a lasting peace. reciprocal iving in mute ool respect and prosperity. mr. president, to conclude, i would ask that the security council consider this proposal. argentina would like to honor being elected to this august body and we believe that responsibilities are not two different sides of the coin. we must be consistent.

thank you. >> i thank the representative of argentina for her statement. i give now the floor to the representative of australia. you have the floor. >> thank you, mr. president. and i thank the secretary general for his briefing this morning. the major escalations and hostilities between israel and mill gant groups in the gaza strip is deeply be troubling and reminds us of the urgency of all of the efforts that are currently directed towards stopping all the violence. we're concerned about the growing number of casualties on both sides, including many palestinian civilians. a significant number of israeli soldiers and several israeli civilians. everything possible should be done to prevent civilian casualties and to limit the suffering of innocent people, including those displaced by the fighting. all sides must respect international humanitarian law. we strongly condemn hamas and

other militants continued rocket attacks on israel with a total number of such rocket attack launches, rocket launches now numbering over 1,850. the decision of hamas to reject the egyptian brokered cease-fire proposals and its use of civilian facilities, such as schools, to launch attacks on israel are inexcusable. we recognize the increased burden on that as a result of the crisis. we support israel's right to defend itself in the face of such attacks. no country can be expected to stand by and tolerate such sustained attacks directed at civilian areas. in doing so, israel needs to take all necessary steps to prevent civilian casualties. australia strongly supports efforts to secure an immediate cease-fire. we endorse and welcome the personal efforts of the secretary general in traveling to the region and seeking an end to the violence. we also welcome the efforts of

the u.s. secretary of state kerry in seeking to broker a cease-fire as well as the efforts of foreign minister and others. the sustained high-level engagement reflects the international community's deep distress at the violence and its absolute determination to assist in ending and building the conditions for sustainable peace. hamas must engage with these international efforts to resolve this crisis. once a cease-fire is achieved, the international community needs to find a way to help the israelis and the palestinians to return to negotiations on the two-state solution. the absence of a political dialogue runs the serious risk of further deterioration of security conditions in the future. mr. president, all-star welcomes the -- australia welcomes the resolution on the worsening humanitarian crisis in syria. this is an outcome that reflects the council's determination to alleviate the human suffering in syria

despite the political obstacles that have hampered this council's ability to act decisively to prevent this crisis. by making to clear that u.n. agencies and their partners are authorized to deliver humanitarian assistance across the four nominated border crossings and the cross -- across conflict lines, we hope the additional 2.9 million people can be reached with life-saving assistance. we can end the -- we commend e u.n. system in operating 2165 in difficult circumstances. all parties are obliged to protect the safety and security of humanitarian workers in accordance to this resolution. this resolution was only necessary, however, because of the immeasurable failure of the parties to the syrian conflict and the assad regime in particular. to adhere to the decisions of this council, uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect the lives of syrian civilians.

the continued violations of human rights by regime forces and terrorist groups like isil are abhorrent. the i ask unanimous consent's determination to see these turned around was -- the security council's determination to see these turned around was seen in resolution. this month, the precursor chemicals were removed for destruction. we applaud those states that have contributed to this outcome. we urge the syrian regime to complete its declaration and finalize plans for the destruction of its chemical facilities with the opcw. the political solution to the crisis is urgeently needed. the presidential elections in june from which many syrian citizens were excluded lacked credibility and as former joint special representative told us have taken us further away from a political solution to the crisis. this is a significant challenge

which the secretary general's w special envoy will need to address. australia welcomes his appointment and that the deputy secretary and supporting their efforts to find a way to end the violence in syria. we urge states in the region to offer them their full support which will be crucial to the success of any future political track. mr. president, it's deeply concerning that large parts of syria and iraq are now ungoverned and controlled by a terrorist organization, isil. this will continue to be a major security and political challenge for the international community as well, of course, as for the people of syria and iraq who have suffered appalling atrocities at the hands of these terrorists. all u.n. member states must adhere to their obligations under the u.n. security council 1267 al qaeda sanctions regime and cut off funding and weapons

to isil. the displacement to close to one million iraqis in addition to those fleeing from syria as a result of the conflict represents a significant humanitarian crisis. in order to respond effectively to these challenges, it is important that a new iraqi government be formed as soon as possible and adopt a unified national approach. australia welcomes the nomination of the speaker of the iraqi council of representatives, a constructive first step towards this objective. the u.n. is uniquely placed to provide assistance to iraq's political leaders as they work towards the formation of an inclusive new national government. we strongly support the ecretary general and addressing the current security and political challenges and building a unified and secure country. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative from australia for her testimony. i give now the floor the representative of chile.

>> thank you, mr. president. first, i'd like to thank the secretary general for the information provided to us this morning and i would also like to express my appreciation for the reports presented from my colleagues frr palestine and israel. in less than two weeks, we have met three times urgently in order to address the recent developments in gaza. despite our insistent calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and despite the efforts of the secretary general and diplomatic pressure brought to bear, the parties decided rather than establishing a truce to escalate the conflict. chile condemns the escalation of violence that impacts the middle east, the disproportionate use of force by israel in the densely populated areas and it condemns

the indiscriminate use of rockets by hamas. this is a conflict whereby neither of the parties will achieve their objectives but it will take its toll in a high loss of human life. we would urgently call on parties to meet their obligations internationally in the area of protection of the civilian population. as we indicated last friday, we believe that the attacks against civilians in gaza and israel violate humanitarian international law and might be -- crimes of war. we would also highlight the need for the u.n. personnel on the ground having appropriate protection. given the discovery by the united agencies for palestinian refugees, unrwa, of some 20 rockets deposited in the schools and given the attack yesterday on the hospital, we

would reiterate our calls for parties to adopt urgent measures to stop the attacks and stop the military use of schools and hospitals in keeping with resolution 2134 of this council. my country is most especially concerned by the growing number of civilian victims and by the grave humanitarian situation impacting the resident population in gaza. based on this concern and in interest of rescuing the innocent victims of this conflict, it has made available $150,000 to be sent to united nations entities that work in this area under the coordination of unrwa. chile believes that it is of vital importance to open all border crossings in gaza, including the rafa crossing. it has been interesting to listen to members of this

council express their views that once a cease-fire is achieved it's important to design appropriate mechanisms to verify implementation which can also be used to guarantee the peaceful use of border crossings. mr. president, as pointed out to us by the secretary general, once a cease-fire is achieved, we cannot return to the status quo. that is unacceptable. we insist that it is absolutely vital that this council address the deep-seeded causes of the conflict. chile takes note of the letters sent by president abbas to the secretary general whereby he requests that palestine be put under a system of international protection administered by the united nations. there is a broad consensus in the international community with regard to identifying the major obstacles to peace. for example, construction and

expansion of settlements in the west bank and jerusalem, illegal, according to the provisions of the geneva convention, and also the advisory of the international court of justice. this and other elements have led to an environment of extreme hostility which has made dialogue difficult, isolated moderate voices to promote peace in israel and palestine, pushing further away the so desired two-state solution. mr. president, the region cannot withstand more conflict along these lines along the fact that the lebanese government condemned the launching of rockets from fundamentalist groups from its territory. we value all efforts that contribute to neutralizing the action of radical groups and we would highlight the commitment of the lebanese armed forces and the united nations provisional forces in lebanon

who have intensified their control in the area. turning now to syria, chile welcomes the adoption of resolution 2165 on humanitarian access and we hope it will contribute to alleviate the suffering of millions of syrians around lead to a more effective, efficient and timely delivery of assistance in keeping with humanitarian principles. we would highlight the binding nature of this resolution as well as the fact that it complements resolution 2139 and the presidential statement of october 2, 2013. e value the appointment as the secretary general special envoy for syria who will have the mission of contributing to the quest for a peaceful solution to the conflict based on dialogue and reconciliation. the government of chile wishes him every success in this task

and offers its most determined support in building more appropriate channels for dialogue. mr. president, i'd like to finally now refer to iraq. chile would like to express its deep-seeded concern for the grave humanitarian and security situation in iraq due to the military advance of -- terrorist groups, especially the isil. which has led to a very high number of civilian victims and more than one million displaced persons. we were alarmed by the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities in the region. thank you very much. >> i thank the representative of chile for his statement. i give now the floor the representative of chad. >> thank you very much, mr. president. may i begin by thanking you for having convened this public

debate on the situation in the middle east, including the palestinian question. may i also thank the secretary general of the united nations, mr. ban ki-moon, for his briefing, and his mediation efforts. i also thank the representatives of palestine and israel for their statement. today's debate comes at a particularly sensitive time, speaking about the situation in the middle east, in particular, gaza where violence has reached an unacceptable apex. chad follows with great concern and consternation the spike of violence in gaza which since july 8 has been subject to

full-scale israeli assault, leading to more than 600 deaths d more than 350 wounded, the majority of which are civilians -- women and children and elderly people included. as well as more than 100,000 displaced persons. this is compounded by the destruction of civilian infrastructure, housing, including hospitals, care centers and schools. chad expressly condemns the destruction -- the massacre of the city which civilian life was lost on the palestinian side due to the israeli aggression. we condemn any attacks targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. we are all aware that the acts of violence against civilians are serious violations of the

most fundamental principles of humanitarian law and could constitute war crimes. the perpetrators should be held to account. cannot ciple of justice be -- sir, we deplore the growing number of civilian casualties and regret the approving silence for powerlessness of the international community in putting an end to the escalation of violence in gazzave. the right to self-defense of israel cannot justify such a high number of civilian casualties, the right to self-defense. it's defined with respect to the threat and the right to

life and civility for innocent civilians. in this regard, israel has the obligation to act in line with international humanitarian law and protect the life of civilian populations. in this regard, we call upon israel to immediately halt its air raids and ground offenses, which have already claimed far too many lives, destruction and damage. along the same lines, we call upon palestinians to halt attacks on israel from the gaza strip. in particular, through rocket fire. we call upon the international community to act with solidarity to provide emergency humanitarian aid should the people -- to the people in gaza mr. president,

the two million people in the gaza strip have been under a blockade since 2007, cut off from the rest of the world and stripped of the many necessities and subject to periodic collective punishment, experienced a tragedy which is an affront to the human conscience. the security council, as the body explicitly responsible for the maintainment of international peace and security has the obligation to reason with israel such to put an end to attacks against civilians and to its disproportionate offensive. we support all the good offices on the international community, including those of the secretary general and the egyptian initiative supported by the arab league to bring about a cessation of hostilities and a resumption of

peace talks. in this regard, it is of utmost importance to take onboard the concerns of all parties and find a fair, comprehensive and definitive solution to the israeli-palestinian conflict. on the basis of the well-known rameters, chiefly, the two-state solution, living side by side in peace and security, the pre-1967 borders. mr. president, the division of the middle east is increasingly fragile. , war in iraq, in syria collapse of security in yemen fragility of lebanon, all of these are

worrisome signs which would call attention to the genuine and imminent threat looming over the middle east to peace and security which are increasingly called into question. the international community should -- >> watch the security council meeting in its entirety at c-span.org. we leave it now as the house is returning for legislative work. live coverage. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] eake house will be in order. our the -- the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. chaplain conroy: let us pray. dear god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. we ask your special blessing upon the members of this people's house. they face difficult decisions and difficult times, with many forces and interests demanledsing their attention -- demanding their attention. give them generosity to enter into their work