[ecr]  

"We call on all members of the Security Council to impose an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, to work toward establishing an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Sharif as its capital, and to bring an end the Israeli occupation of all Arab lands," said Bendjama during an emergency Security Council meeting on the Middle East situation, held at the request of Algeria, China, and Russia.

Since the start of our term on the Security Council, we have warned about the risk of the Israeli aggression against Gaza spreading across the Middle East. Unfortunately, this risk has become a reality, said the diplomat.

"Today, we face a regional conflict with serious and foreseeable, global consequences," said Bendjama.

Despite this, "some council members are still reluctant to call this situation a threat to international peace and security," he added.

“The Israeli attacks are an undeniable breach of international peace," said the diplomat, calling on the Security Council to take action to restore international peace and security.

“Algeria condemns, in the strongest terms, the recent military attacks by the Israeli occupation forces perpetrated against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” added Bendjama regarding the situation in Iran.

"We stand in full solidarity with Iran, condemning these attacks as violations of its sovereignty and as a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law," he said.

"The international community has a duty to curb Israeli occupation and stop its continued escalation, which has brought the Middle East into an endless cycle of instability," he stressed.

"After Israeli airstrikes on Iranian diplomatic premises in Damascus last April, we emphasized that true peace requires adherence to UN principles and respect for international law by all," he also recalled.

"Applying double standards in international law weakens our global legal order and weaken the credibility of this very council," said Bendjama.

In this regard, he said that "international law must be respected without no exceptions," stressing that "no one is above the law and that the Israeli occupying power must be held accountable for its actions."

Moreover, Bendjama said that "the crises in the Middle East are interconnected and must be addressed together," noting that "their root cause is very well known, it is the ongoing Israeli occupation of Arab lands.”

He further said that "recent events must not eclipse the central issue of aggression against the Palestinian people."

"In the short term, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon is essential to end the violence, (and) in the long term, lasting peace requires that Palestinians enjoy their legitimate rights, and that the Israeli occupatio of all Arab territories is put to an end,” he insisted.  [/ecr]