STATEMENT BY
H.E. MR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE 61ST
PLENARY MEETING OF THE
10TH EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
TUESDAY, 17 JUNE 2025, GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL
President,
Thank you for convening this meeting. Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered
by Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
President,
2. Malaysia is again appalled and deeply disappointed with the inability of the
Security Council to mobilise any meaningful action to stop the ongoing massacre of
innocent Palestinians, and scale up humanitarian aid into Gaza, due to the exercise of
the veto by a permanent member of the Security Council.
3. We have been warned about the plausibility of genocide in Gaza, for more than a
year already. The International Court of Justice, through its orders of provisional
measures issued in January, March and May 2024, warned us of this plausibility in very
clear terms, but the Security Council remains deadlocked and failed to act. In the
meantime, Israel continues to intensify its aggression, brazenly disregarding rules of
international law and international humanitarian law, as well as global outcry and
condemnation.
4. In January last year, when the first order of provisional measures was issued,
casualties of the war in Gaza stood at approximately 25,000 people. Now, it has
increased dramatically to more than 55,000 people – about seventy percent of them being
women and children. Since the ceasefire was broken over two months ago, approximately
4,300 more lives have been lost. Gaza has been described as “a wasteland”, “a
graveyard for children” and most recently, as a place “worse than hell on earth”.
5. And yet, the Security Council continues to be paralysed. The United Nations
continues to be prevented from doing what the majority of Member States demand it to
do – that is to stop the killing of civilians – women, children and the elderly, in Gaza.
6. The inability of the Council to act has been frustrating. Preventing the Council
from taking decisive action to stop the mass atrocities unfolding in Gaza, against the will
of the majority of Member States, is unacceptable.
President,
7. Malaysia condemns Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire in Gaza on 18 March 2025,
and the inhumane and illegal use of starvation as a method of warfare. We also deplore
the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, and the militarisation of humanitarian aid. The
aid distribution mechanism under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has turned out to
be a big fiasco, with reports of Palestinians being shot at and killed, while trying to get
barely-sufficient food aid for their families at the distribution centres. It is madness, and it
must stop. What must happen is the lifting of the blockade of humanitarian aid imposed
by Israel, and the United Nations, as well as credited international humanitarian
organisations being allowed to do their work, without impediments.
8. While we continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, we must not lose sight of the
dangerous escalation of annexation and violence in the West Bank. Settler terrorism is
rampant, with the backing of Israeli occupation forces. Settlements are expanding despite
clear determinations by the International Court of Justice, of their illegality. In the last
three weeks alone, 22 new settlements have been approved by the Israeli authorities.
Israeli leaders now blatantly speak of occupation, and about achieving a Greater Israel.
The expansionist colonialist agenda of Israeli leaders has become clear - overtly and
proudly pronounced. Their boldness is due to the impunity they have long enjoyed and
continue to enjoy.
9. Indeed, Israel’s impunity has emboldened it to increase its belligerence and spread
its war beyond Palestinian territory, as we have witnessed in the last few days. Israel
continues to act recklessly, trampling on fundamental principles of international law, as it
throws the region into greater instability and danger.
President,
10. The mass atrocities by Israel against Palestinians over the decades, which has
escalated into acts akin to ethnic cleansing and genocide, can only be understood in the
context of Israel’s expansionist colonialist agenda. This agenda is the root cause of
Israel’s denial of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine, its illegal occupation of
Palestinian lands, and its oppression, dispossession and forced displacement of
Palestinians. It is the main cause of the long and ongoing instability in the region.
11. Peace and security cannot prevail if unlawful activities are allowed to continue. If
we, the international community, are committed to upholding the rule of law, our message
must be firm, and it must be clear – Israel must bring its occupation of Palestinian territory,
as well as settlement activities and violence by its settlers, to a rapid end. It must stop
denying the Palestinian people their inalienable right to self-determination, to live in an
independent and sovereign state.
12. We regret that the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement
of the Question of Palestine, which opened this morning, has to be suspended. We look
forward to the resumption of the Conference and are hopeful that it will produce a clear
pathway towards the realisation of a fully sovereign and independent State of Palestine.
President,
13. The international community must take all necessary measures at its disposal to
compel Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian land and abide by its obligations under
international law. In this regard, we commend actions taken by a number of countries,
which include suspending bilateral, trade and social relations with Israel. The recent
imposition of sanctions on the extremist Israeli Ministers Belzalel Smotrich and Itamar
Ben-Gvir is welcomed. These sanctions should be expanded to also include several other
Israeli leaders, who continue to incite hatred, dehumanise Palestinians, encourage illegal
acts and provoke hostilities and conflicts.
14. We call on States not to be complicit in Israel’s illegal war and occupation, by
halting the provision of arms and financial support to Israel. We continue to hold the view
that the Security Council must adopt a Chapter VII resolution against Israel, without delay,
for its genocidal war against Palestinians. We also reiterate our call for the defence of
UNRWA against Israel’s unilateral attempts to dismantle the Agency. UNRWA is both
essential and irreplaceable.
15. We appreciate Member States who co-sponsored and voted in favour of
Resolution ES-10/27, which we adopted on Thursday, 12th June. The high numbers of
co-sponsors and affirmative votes is a testament of the commitment from the
overwhelming majority of Member States to uphold international law, and reject any
attempt to strip Palestinians of their rights, dignity and humanity.
President,
16. Before I conclude, allow me to reiterate Malaysia’s position on the veto. The veto
and its undemocratic nature runs against the very principles that the United Nations was
built upon. It has no place in a modern and democratic multilateral architecture. Malaysia
maintains its position that the exercise of the veto by permanent members of the Security
Council must be regulated, to deter it from being used unjustifiably or abused. Its
application must be prohibited in situations involving mass atrocity crimes, such as
genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes.
17. However, we maintain that ultimately, the veto needs to be abolished altogether.
Malaysia will continue to work constructively with other Member States through the
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Security Council reform, towards improving the
United Nations, to make it more efficient, open, transparent, and inclusive.
Thank you, President.