Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations speaks at an open debate on the Middle East situation (Photo: VNA)New York (VNA) - Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, PermanentRepresentative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), has condemned all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, saying that Vietnam is deeply concerned about the current tense situation in the Middle East, especially losses to civilians.
Speaking at an open debate on the Middle East situation with a focus on the ongoing conflict between Israeland the Hamas movement at the UN General Assembly on October 24, the Ambassador called on all sides to immediately cease fire, exercisemaximum restraint, respect international humanitarian law and apply allnecessary measures to protect people's lives, including ensuring the safety of andimmediate release of all hostages, minimising damage to essential civilianinfrastructure in line with the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2573.
The Vietnamese diplomat called on theinternational community, especially all relevant parties, to create favourableconditions to end the fighting, resume dialogue and negotiations, allowhumanitarian access and deploy timely and unhindered humanitarian reliefoperations to reach people in need of assistance, while ensuring the safety ofhumanitarian aid workers.
Giang expressed his support for mediation efforts ofthe UN, UN member countries as well as international and regional organisations,emphasising that in the long term, it is necessary to stop activities thatincite more violence and hatred between the two sides, stop the expansion ofsettlements in the West Bank, the destruction of homes and the expulsion ofPalestinians, and respect the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Vietnamese representative proposed resuming activities ofthe Middle East Quartet, urged parties to return to negotiations toresolve the root causes, aiming to achieve a two-state solution in accordancewith international law and relevant UN resolutions, including the establishmentof a Palestine state with East Jerusalem as its capital, peacefully coexistingalongside the state of Israel, with internationally recognised borders based on pre-1967 borders. He also called on the UN and UNSC tostrive for a unified and constructive message, helping to promote efforts toreduce tensions, end fighting, protect civilians and support the resumption of dialogue and negotiations.
At the open debates, many countries expressed concern aboutincreasing tension and the risk of it spreading to the region, protested againstattacks causing large casualties for civilians, and serious humanitariansituations as the Gaza Strip was completely locked down without electricity,water, medicine and other necessities for days. Most countries called for animmediate ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, allowingthe transport of essential aid from outside into the Gaza Strip.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged allparties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law,protecting civilians and civil works./.
